Sealed Fate
by The Nerdfighter
Summary: Danny Fenton has always played superhero. But what kind of hero can't even save his loved ones? Now, Danny has called it quits, starting over in Madison, Wisconsin. But when our hero finds himself in Jump City, will he step up to play? CHAPTER 6 EDITED!
1. Prologue

**Okay, before I actually get this story going, let me just say that this is my first fan fic after waking up from a long, three-year hibernation. (Yikes, has it really been that long?) **

**Yep, Uzumaki Nekkyo is back and better than ever! I have to say, after coming across some of my older fan fic stories; I question whether I actually deserved those A's and B's in all of my English classes. My grammar and plot build-up was atrocious! But, now that I've taken a step back from fan fiction and let my thoughts progress and mature a little more, I'm happy to say that I'm back and excited to be writing stories about my favorite cartoons once again. I hope you all can enjoy this crossover fan fic that I've wanted to write for quite some time now. **

**Also, please excuse me if the information isn't 100% accurate with **_**Danny Phantom **_**or **_**Teen Titans**_**. Back when these cartoons were still new to Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, I tried paying as much attention to detail as possible. But, now that both cartoons have been finished for quite a while, my memory has become a little foggy as to what happened to whom. I apologize in advance for any mistakes you come across and promise to do my best to avoid said mistakes in later chapters.**

**Sorry about the sucky summary. -_-' I hate how this site doesn't give you much to explain.**

**But, anyway, without further ado, I'd like to introduce to you my newest story, **_**Sealed Fate**_**. Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to R&R. ^^**

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**~ A Boy's Last Words ~**

(-)

_I was ten-years-old when I'd heard the whole, "Time waits for no man" mini-speech. I'm pretty sure I would've understood the whole meaning to these wise words, if I hadn't been more preoccupied with getting through level three on _Crash Nebula: Galaxy Wars_ than doing a stupid science project at the time. Come on, I was _ten_. What ten-year-old pushes away video games for a fifth grade science project not due for another three weeks? Apparently, a normal one, according to my parents._

_But even as I sat there—alone in my room, pounding away at the Triangle-Left-Square combo to make Crash Nebula activate his turbo lasers—I wasn't expecting to fully come into terms at what my parents were trying to tell me in such little amount of time. Then again, I was never expecting to gain ghost powers in such a short amount of time either. _

_Four years. God, was it really that short of a gap? Had I really transformed from a naïve little boy who thought comic books and video games were more important than girls to a half human/half ghost who spent most of his life vacuuming up his enemies in a metal thermos? _

_Four years … four years later, I would be terrified of bombing the C.A.T. _

_Four years later, I would have my butt handed to me by two ghosts from the future._

_Four years later—from being that little kid who sucked at _Crash Nebula: Galaxy Wars_—I would come face-to-face with Time himself; see glimpses of past events and a dismal future. But even though I was a ghost hybrid trying to play Mr. Superhero of Amity Park, Time did not wait for me … like I had hoped he would. _

_I had done my part. I saved the city from my alter ego. I stopped it from becoming a wasteland of ash and rubble. I played Mr. Superhero of Amity Park. But even after fulfilling my duties—after saving the lives of those who pushed me around or didn't even know my name—I couldn't save the people who mattered most in my life. For my family, for my friends, and for my teacher, I couldn't be Mr. Superhero of Amity Park. _

_Time waits for no man. Not even for a fourteen-year-old ghost boy who had lost everything…._

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**~Prologue~**

(-)

It was the top story all across America. _Nasty Accident for Fenton's and Friends_. _The Sole Survivor_. _Fourteen-year-old Loses Everything_. Everywhere he turned, there was talk of the young famous Daniel Fenton, the boy who was just a mere forty feet away from the Nasty Burger explosion that took the life of his friends and family. Rumor had it the boy was trying to free them from the boiler containing the overheated Nasty Sauce. But sadly, his attempt was unsuccessful.

Slade glanced down at the photo he held in his hand, a picture of the now orphaned Daniel Fenton taken three days during his recuperating in the hospital. Although him losing everything was the talk of the town—even in Jump City, a good distance away from Amity Park—Slade was confident that there was more than what the reporters and journalists could dig up.

According to insiders, the death of the Fenton's, Samantha Manson, Tucker Foley, and Jonathan Lancer, was the work of a sinister ghost known as Dan Phantom. Prior to the Nasty Burger eruption, Phantom was defeated by Amity Park's recurring ghost, Inviso-Bill, who'd later fled the scene right as Daniel Fenton entered the picture to save his loved ones. It was odd enough that Phantom had picked such a unique pair of hostages—all of whom seemed to be at the popular fast food joint to discuss Daniel's performance on the C.A.T—but to have the younger ghost disappear right as Daniel entered the scene….

He crushed the photo, crumpling it before letting it fall beneath his steel-toed boots. Coincidence. It was all too much of a coincidence. Dan Phantom. _Daniel Fenton_. And Inviso-Bill entering and fleeing the scene of the crime. Frankly, it was an open and shut case. But despite the information he knew, Slade was certain of who he could confront about Daniel's situation; someone who would give him the answers he desired.

He had to admit, the day Trigon had resurrected him from the dead was a sensation all its own. Balancing between the line of Life and Death—it was a thrill that overpowered him in a cloud of pure elation and supremacy. Sadly, the thrill had been reduced to a bittersweet recollection, after Trigon had double-crossed him once Slade had fulfilled his duties in encrypting the prophecy onto Raven. The Ring of Azar had kept him from being condensed into a pile of ash and bone. But he wasn't about to give up without a fight.

The ring. If he hadn't been so resolute on restoring his full power, he would've given the ring to Starfire and the others for safekeeping. But Slade had a duty of his own to fulfill and gaining back his own flesh and blood wasn't enough. He wanted the thrill; the forceful energy that had once surged through his restored fingertips. He wanted it all back, so that he could one day rule the Earth with an iron fist.

Naturally, Slade had got what he desired. He was back to his old self, with the abilities Trigon had given to him re-established tenfold. And although he wasn't all too eager in getting back in the game with his fellow Titans, after hearing about the fatality in Amity Park, Slade decided to pay a certain someone a little visit.

(-)

Clockwork waved his scepter in front of the screen, replaying the scene for the fourth time. Everything had gone according to plan. Danny Fenton had vacuumed his future self inside the thermos and Dan Phantom was no longer terrorizing the citizens of Amity Park. The battle had ended, with fourteen-year-old Danny crowned victorious. But the objective had yet to be claimed.

"_It's too late to save them…." _

It had taken a while to register, but the moment Danny had turned around, he realized it was only a matter of time before his future would be set in stone. He ran, ran as fast as he could towards the nearly demolished Nasty Burger. A ring had formed around his waist as he attempted to transform into his ghost half. But the ring immediately faltered after he had used up so much of his power to produce his ghostly wail on his enemy. There was nothing more he could do.

"_I can't go ghost!" _

Clockwork stopped the clip, turning his back on the boy's frightened eyes. Normally, being the Master of Time meant he could administer an event days, months, even _centuries_ before it even happened. He knew of Danny Fenton's past, his overwrought present; even his sinister future of becoming the all powerful Dan Phantom, the strongest and most evil ghost on the planet.

Unlike the Observant's, Clockwork knew how Danny's whole situation was going to fall into place. He knew the young halfa and his friends would stumble into his home, catch a glimpse of what the future had in store for them, and do everything in their power to prevent history from repeating itself. He knew the whole story like the back of his hand, even the part where Danny stumbled a little too late to save his friends and family from the Nasty Burger explosion. That little mishap was where Clockwork would jump right in and give the boy a second chance, like he deserved. Only then would everything fall into place and Dan Phantom would become nothing but a glitch in the time stream.

However, the Observant's thought otherwise.

"Tampering with the boy's time line? Even you should know better, Clockwork."

"Interfering with the events in his time line is a strict violation of the Protocol of Temporal Displacement. Once the boy's fate has been sealed, altering it in any other way could lead to dire consequences. And not just for him, but for you as well, Clockwork."

"But, you don't understand!" Of course they didn't understand. They were merely observers. Simply here to make sure they got what they wanted.

"The future is safe from the likes of Dan Phantom. The boy has done his job, as have you, Clockwork. Your services are no longer needed."

That was the first event Clockwork hadn't seen coming.

He turned back to face the monitor, the scene paused on Danny, the look of horror evident on his face after realizing what lied in store for his loved ones. Realizing that he had failed them.

Clockwork bowed his head in shame. "I'm sorry, ghost child."

"So, I was right all along."

Clockwork snapped his head back, turning to stare face-to-mask with the intruder now present in his lair. A shadow was draped over the man as he stood calmly in the darkness. However, it didn't take much focus for Clockwork to realize who his special guest was.

"Slade," he spat with resolving toxin. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit? If memory serves, you managed to restore your human body after the defeat of Trigon back in Jump City. So what are you doing traveling through the Ghost Zone, much less my lair?"

"If memory serves, I should be talking to the all-seeing ghost, Master of Time," he spoke, taking long, casual strides toward the monitor, his arms tucked carelessly behind his back. "You tell me."

"I have no interest in playing mind games, Slade. What is it that you want?"

"Nothing you need get excited over, Clockwork. All I'm seeking are answers—answers that I pray you will give to me without any setbacks."

Clockwork stared at the masked man questioningly, his fingers curled tightly around his scepter. "Go on."

Slade tore his visible eye from the monitor, giving Clockwork his full attention. "I trust you know quite a lot about the young boy who'd lost his friends and family back in Amity Park?"

"Danny Fenton," he spoke. "What about him?"

With that said, Slade had turned his attention back to the monitor, gazing at it as if Danny Fenton was truly there. "Such a tragic thing to happen to such a young boy. To lose your family is one thing, but to lose your friends as well. The poor boy must have a heart of steel to go on in life without anyone to fall back on."

The time holder scowled. "What exactly are you getting at, Slade?"

"The savage battle, the disappearance of young Inviso-Bill right before the explosion, the array of victims all connecting to Daniel himself." Slade couldn't help but chuckle. "Come now, Clockwork. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the pattern. The similarities in powers and physical appearance, not to mention the perfect timing in Inviso-Bill disappearing and Daniel Fenton stepping into the scene, the targets being his own friends and family. Dan Phantom, Inviso-Bill, Daniel Fenton: they're all the same person."

At first, Clockwork didn't know what to say. Although Danny was his prime focus at the moment, he knew quite a bit of Slade's time line as well. The man was awfully intelligent and having figured out of Danny's secret identity as well as his alter ego … well, amazed wasn't really the word that popped up in the ghosts' head. However, he couldn't help but feel there was more to what Slade was getting at.

"Congratulations, you figured out the boy's secret, as well as his messed up future. What do you want, a medal?"

"On the contrary." He spoke. "Although I came seeking confirmation on the boy, I also came to request a proposition."

"Such as?"

Slade held up his hand, as if offering Clockwork a small package. The Ring of Azar gleamed brightly around his gloved finger. "Time is just a mere object held within your grasp. With your abilities, you can jump back into the past as well as glide straight through the future. Danny Fenton defeated his alter ego back in Amity Park, entrapping him inside a metal thermos. Fear has kept him from releasing his future self into the Ghost Portal. However, if Phantom were to be released back into the human world, the earth would find itself in peril once again."

"And what does any of this have to do with me?" Clockwork asked almost impatiently.

"It's really quite simple. In order to persuade Danny from releasing his future self from the thermos, he's going to need a little … motivation." He smiled behind his mask, directing it towards Clockwork. "That's where you come in. Phantom is freed and Daniel gets to relive the time he lost with his friends and family."

"Forget it." Clockwork objected. "His fate has already been sealed. I can't alter his time line anymore than I already have. Now get out of here."

Slade bowed his head. At first, Clockwork had gotten the impression that the masked man had admitted defeat. But when Slade looked up at him with disappointment in his visible eye, he knew the worst was yet to come.

"I was afraid you'd say something like that," he said, taking one stride towards him, his gloved hands clasped into hard fists. "However, I'm not taking no for an answer."

The fireball had come at him with unquestionable speed, but Clockwork was quick enough to dodge Slade's attack. He glared down at the armor-clad man and before he could muster up another sneak attack, the Master of Time reached for the tip of his scepter and pressed the button. "Time out!" he cried, freezing everything in its place. The wheels in his lair had come to an abrupt halt and the harsh ticking echoing in the background had died down. Everything was at a complete standstill, as well as the man in the orange and black mask.

With a sigh of relief, Clockwork floated back to the ground, hovering before his opponent with a minor sum of curiosity. The Master of Time couldn't help but grin as he waved his scepter in front of Slade, making the masked man levitate before him to get a better view. "Obviously, whatever plans you had cooked up were no match against me." He looked down, catching a glimpse of the golden band wrapped around Slade's ring finger. "The Ring of Azar, huh." He chuckled. "Did you really think this was going to help you?"

"Why do you think I risked the end of the world to keep it?"

Red, that's all he saw: a flash of burning red flames erupting in a sea of magma. Clockwork had been knocked down several feet away from his opponent, his scepter clanging clamorously as it hit the ground. He opened his eyes, picking himself up as he tried to reach for his time scepter. Another flash of molten fire, however, stopped him from doing so and it was then that Clockwork had found himself powerless.

Immediately, he turned around, staring up at the masked man with giant flames licking away at his palms, his good eye narrowed into a forceful glare. Clockwork's jaw dropped in alarm. The red insignia—the mark of Trigon—was evident on his orange and black mask.

"Now then, let's try this again."

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**Haha, yes! Done with the prologue. Sorry if it seemed a little long. You don't know how many times I proofread this thing to get it just right. Or, at least satisfying in my eyes. I'm actually impressed the way this turned out. Way better than the way I use to write back when I was a sophomore. However, for any MAJOR **_**Teen Titans**_** fans who took the time to read this fic, I know Trigon took back Slade's powers during **_**The End **_**and he never got them back, which is why I changed it up a bit and let him keep the Ring of Azar instead of giving it to Starfire. I'm pretty sure the ring was only for protection purposes and didn't give Slade the cool pyrokinesis abilities or all of that fun stuff, but, oh well. This is a 'what if' story, so I shouldn't get flamed for that.**

**Anyway, I'll try to keep it as close to the storyline as possible. The same goes for **_**Danny Phantom**_**. ****Oh, and before I forget, thank you so much to everyone who took the time to be my beta reader for this story. Thank you in advance Razorgaze. And TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, I'm sorry for not waiting for your critiques. I just really wanted to get this thing up as soon as possible. But I hope you'll critique me in upcoming chapters.**

**So, there you have it. Stay tuned for Chapter One of "Sealed Fate" and send in your thoughts, comments, concerns, and/or flames by clicking the review button. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my first fan fic after a two year break. See ya soon!**


	2. Totally and Utterly Screwed

**Hello everyone!**

**Okay, first, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the prologue of "Sealed Fate". Thank you so much, Linzerj, dragondancer123, Shadow1248, TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, Umbra8191, and mister or miss unknown reader. Your comments make me smile. ^^**

**I'd also like to thank the people who added "Sealed Fate" to their Favorites and Alerts. Thanks a buddle Alluring Alliteration, drkphoenyx, Em Phantom, RedHerring1412, and Shadowhunter4life. **

**Anyway, here's the first chapter of "Sealed Fate". Sorry if it seems a little rushed towards the middle and the end. I was going through a small dose of writers block and just threw together whatever popped in my head. XD But, aside from that, I hope you all enjoy it. ^^**

**Oh, and big, big thanks to TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, my fabulous beta reader! You rock! ^^**

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**~Chapter 1~**

**"Totally and Utterly Screwed"**

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"Alright you little turd, listen up, 'cuz I'm only gonna say this once. Unless you wanna spend the rest of your life sippin' fried chicken through a crazy straw, I suggest you back down, and get outta my face."

"Please, just get out of here. I can handle myself."

Danny Fenton showed no interest in backing down. He tightened his hands into hard fists and shot James Murdock the most sinister glare he could give. He knew he was jumping into the fire the second he stepped foot into their territory. But there was no backing down now. Not after he saw James hit her like that.

She was a sweet girl. Smartest one in his geometry class; head of the Fashion Club. Even the star pitcher for the Madison High softball team. However, even though Sarah Matthews had a good head on her shoulders, she stuck with the wrong crowd. Her black eye was enough to prove it and Danny wasn't about to sit on the sidelines watching her get beaten by a guy twice her size and even twice her strength. He played the hero game once, only this time, he wasn't walking away empty-handed.

"How about you listen to this? You leave her alone and I won't have to mess up your ugly face more than it already is. Your choice, _Murdock_."

One step, that's all it took. After dealing with bullies like Dash Baxter, Danny had learned that one step, along with emphasis to their name, was enough to show a bully that you meant business. He could see it in James's eyes that he was rather impressed for someone who looked like they belonged in a comic book store to be standing up to him in a dark alley with no other witnesses besides his boys..

James chuckled lowly, flashing a set of crooked teeth that would concern any dentist. "I'll admit you've got some major balls, Fenton. But you know what they say: size doesn't matter."

Danny smirked. "I'm sure that's what every girl tells you before they lay down the 'just friends' speech."

James's grin had faltered in a matter of seconds, fast enough to where Danny questioned whether he was even grinning at all. It was amazing how one simple comeback could get a guy so heated. He probably wasn't doing any justice adding insult to injury, but knowing James, this fight wasn't going to be a simple picnic in the park.

He swung with brute force, something Danny wasn't expecting to come at him so fast. His reflexes were sharp after all those training sessions with Vlad, but even his acute hand-eye coordination wasn't enough to block James's attack. With a strike to the jaw, Danny's neck snapped to the left, making him eat concrete in a matter of seconds. Sarah Matthews screamed in terror as she watched him hit the ground, everything spinning.

James cracked his knuckles. "Had enough?"

"You wish," Danny spat. One blow and his mouth was already on fire. But he couldn't give up now. Quickly, he picked himself up, facing James Murdock once again. He wiped a dribble of blood from his lip and dashed towards the goon and his posse. This time, Danny managed to catch James's swing before it could hit him and dodged out of the way with a quick stride to the left. He curled his fist, dragging it back before letting it sail straight into James's scruffy cheek. Down for the count, but not for long.

"You little bastard!" James roared, his mouth awash in a sea of crimson. Already, he was beginning to pick himself up, spitting out little droplets of blood. However, before either he or James could make their next move, Danny had felt his body being dragged down from behind.

He glanced over his shoulder. Surprisingly, Joss and Mav already had a hold of him. A sneak attack. They were both enormous guys and starred on the Madison High football team, but despite their size, Danny easily broke free from their barrier, knocking both juggernauts with a backwards twin clout.

"Sorry, guys. I'm not one for group hugs." Danny smirked.

That did it. Before Danny could even get back on his feet, James came running at him with a surprise curl shot. Danny managed to block James's attack with his hand while taking a shot at the other cheek with his fist. The strike was clean-cut and managed to send James in a barrel roll right next to Joss and Mav, who were already K.O.-ed from Danny's striking twin clout. James stirred and grunted on the dirty alleyway pavements, but Danny wasn't ready to let his guard down. Respect was something he needed to gain if he wanted things to go as smooth as possible

The tangy copper flavor was still fresh on his taste buds and even after only delivering four blows, his knuckles were beginning to throb violently. He knew James would dub him a coward for running away, but in a situation like this, Danny wouldn't be able to make it through round two with James Murdock. At least, not in his human form.

_No_, he thought. Not for something like this. Right now, it was best to just grab Sarah and lead her out of the alley before James found the strength to get up. It wasn't running away, just a retreat. He'd deal with James and his posse another time.

"You're name's Danny, right?"

Danny looked down at Sarah, a girl of natural beauty. Even though he'd only caught glimpses of her in the halls or whenever Mr. Bennett would call on her to answer a geometry problem, he never realized how fragile Sarah Matthews looked up close. Her small frame and guarded stance reminded him of a little girl who'd lost her parents in a big department store. Not surprising, seeing as she was only a freshman. However, when she got to her feet—standing tall with more authority and confidence in her posture—Danny realized she was, indeed, _no _little girl.

"Right, uhm, Sarah, is it?" _Focus, Fenton. Her eyes are on her face, not below her neck. _"Are you alright? James must've hit you pretty hard to give you that black-eye."

Sarah looked back at Danny, her left eye swollen. She ignored his words completely, yet the expression on her face held just the slightest spark of curiosity. Slowly, she took one step forward, as if moving too quickly would set Danny off running in the other direction. He couldn't help but be on his toes.

"You're that Fenton kid, aren't you? The one who lost his family in that explosion? Back in Amity Park?"

Simple questions, yet Danny couldn't help but take one step back.

"You were all over the news…." she spoke more softly this time, her hand reaching towards Danny's face, as if unsure whether he was really there or not. He smacked her hand. He didn't mean to do it so hard—or at all for that matter. The things she was saying … he didn't want to hear it. Any of it.

"You need to get out of here."

Sarah drew her hand back slowly, her expression like a deer caught in the headlights. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"You need to get out of here," he said with more authority. "Now. Before the cops show up."

It was a minor bluff, of course. Madison policemen hardly ever made an attempt to investigate a fight between a couple of teenagers. However, Sarah seemed to have taken the bait. Either that or she was afraid that if she stuck around any longer, Danny would transform from her savior to her enemy—which was partly true on Danny's account.

With great trepidation, Sarah took two steps back, stuttering a shaky 'thank you' before tearing off into the streets, safe from harm's way. It was a bittersweet victory, but a victory nonetheless, something Danny hadn't grasped in nearly a year of being absent. It almost felt relaxing to play the hero part once again. Going ghost wasn't even necessary.

Ghost…. When was the last time he'd gone ghost to play vigilante anyway? Ever since that fatal accident at the Nasty Burger. Ever since the battle with Dan Phantom, his future self.

Danny let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his now shaggy, raven hair. Vlad had been nagging him to get a haircut for months now, but it was a style Danny happened to grow accustomed to. Plus, running his fingers through it always seemed to calm his nerves, nerves that were beginning to come at him full force. Already, Danny could feel his temples starting to throb and the sharp pains of an upcoming headache were evident. A low groan could be heard echoing in the alleyway and if Danny had his thoughts elsewhere, he would've figured it was him moaning from frustration, not James.

The young halfa lowered himself to a crouching position, arms casually draped over his knees while James shot him a look—one that said, "You better sleep with one eye open tonight 'cuz your ass is grass when I get a hold of you". It was a look nearly every ghost in the Ghost Zone would throw at Danny, but coming from James, it hadn't even fazed him.

With a hacking cough and a spat of blood mixed with saliva shot without prevail towards Danny's shoe, James tried picking himself up, his arms shaking and wobbling. However, that lead to an unsuccessful turn-out, a sight even Danny had found rather pathetic.

_Wow, and I was thinking of going ghost on this guy? _Danny thought, reaching towards James to give him a friendly pat on the shoulder, which produced an agonizing yelp from the now defeated bully. Danny couldn't help but chuckle, wondering if Dash or Kwan would've put up a better fight than James Murdock and his cronies.

"Sorry, James. Better luck next time—"

"Not so fast, son."

Danny stopped right in his tracks, his heart skipping a beat as he glanced over his shoulder. A man leaning nonchalantly against the hood of his car shot a look his way. It was a look that Vlad had thrown at him whenever Danny would try to sneak out of the house before finishing up his list of chores. A look that was none too friendly.

Immediately, the nerves shot back into Danny's system. Hanging around in a dark alley wasn't particularly the smartest thing to do. And the fact that there was a forty-something year old man walking towards him—a fifteen-year-old teenager who still carried around a boyish face—with a predatory look in his eyes. The whole situation was enough to make Danny reconsider the idea of not using his ghost powers.

"I—I don't want any trouble, sir. Please, just let me—"

"Oh, I can tell you're all about trouble, my dear boy," the man spoke, walking casually towards James and his posse. He looked down at the motionless bullies, giving them a once-over before looking back at Danny, raising his eyebrow in question. "You're a rather pubescent boy, aren't you? A fellow like you wouldn't last ten minutes in juvie, let alone prison. Then again, you should've thought of that before you went on solving your problems with your fists."

It was Danny's turn to give the man a questionable stare. "I don't understand."

The man smirked, reaching inside his jeans pocket, that predatory grin not even fading from his lips. "Maybe you'll understand this: You have the right to remain silent."

And with that—a gentle flick of the wrist—the man exposed the meaning to his words, opening what looked like a pocket book to reveal a golden Madison, Wisconsin Police Department badge. It didn't take Danny long to realize that he was totally and utterly screwed.

(-)

"_A normal teenager?" Vlad questioned. "Daniel, I—quite frankly, I don't understand. What do you—"_

"_Look at me, Vlad!" Danny screamed, his eyes flashing a furious translucent green. "What do I look like to you, huh? A hero? A vigilante? Some scrawny kid trying to play superhero just because he can transform into a ghost? Well I'm not! I'm just a normal, fourteen-year-old kid. Not some ghost boy who springs into action every time there's a ghost attack…. At least, not anymore."_

_Vlad Masters was at a loss for words. What could he say to the boy? Ever since he'd met Danny at the reunion he threw not too long ago, he'd always seen the brighter side of the young halfa. A happy-go-lucky kid—Jack and Maddie's only son. He'd seen Danny smile, seen him angry, seen him grin while throwing witty remarks in the heat of battle. But there was one side of him Vlad had yet to see._

_He'd never seen Danny cry._

_Immediately, the boy turned his back to Vlad, his hands clenched and shaking violently. Even after losing everything to the explosion at the Nasty Burger, Danny still managed to put up this shield; this tough-guy shield that seemed to withhold all of his emotions. It was a pointless action to Vlad, who knew quite well that Danny was just mere seconds away from breaking down. Even so, the boy still managed to keep up the act, not wanting to look weak in front of his greatest … second greatest enemy._

"_Ever since the accident—" Danny sniffed. "Ever since I got these powers, I always thought they were given to me for a reason. All the ghost attacks … and even though my parents tried to keep the town safe, I knew _I _had to be the hero Amity Park needed."_

_There was a crack in his voice, a reverberation of sadness that managed to penetrate through Danny's tough-guy shield. He hadn't spoken a word about his family, nor Sam and Tucker. Not even when he was being bombarded with questions from reporters and journalists while convalescing in the hospital. Mentioning his parents now—after five long days. It was all probably still too painful. _

_Nonetheless, Vlad still waited patiently for Danny to continue, acting as though he didn't notice the tears the boy so desperately tried to hide._

"_Six people. I've saved a whole town of citizens. Strangers, enemies—anyone who needed my help. Countless times from countless ghosts…. But my family … my friends. Mom, Dad, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, even Mr. Lancer. They were all counting on me. Their son. Their brother…. Their best friend. They were the ones who needed me the most and … and I couldn't save them."_

"_Daniel—"_

_Danny held up a hand, motioning for Vlad to say not another word. The elder halfa obeyed, wishing nothing more than to reach out and give the boy the comfort he so desperately needed. But to Vlad's surprise, Danny managed to summon up his composure. With one, shaky breath, he turned to stare up at Vlad, his eyes red and puffy, but dry, nonetheless._

"_I've kept up the hero act for as long as I could. I protected Amity Park from as many ghosts as I can remember." He paused, his eyes pleading. "But I'm just _one _kid! I'm not like any of those big shot superheroes you see on TV. I can't carry the weight of the world on my shoulders—no matter how hard I try."_

_Danny bowed his head, his hands clenched, knuckles popping. "I couldn't save the people that matter most in my life. And if I couldn't save them, who knows who else I won't be strong enough to protect. I can't go on living as mister big-shot superhero Danny Phantom."_

_Vlad's eyes widened with shock. "Danny, are you saying…"_

_The boy looked up at Vlad, his eyes brimming with hot, new tears. "I promised them I would never turn into him," he spat. "I'll honor that promise for the rest of my life. For them, the people I loved—the people he killed. As of right now … I'll never turn into Danny Phantom again."_

Vlad immediately awoke to the sound of his cell phone blasting through his eardrums like a sharp echo. His thoughts were racing a good seventy miles an hour. What just happened? Where was he? In his study? When did he fall asleep? Just a second ago, he was going over business contracts and checking up on his e-mail. How long was he out?

The older halfa shook his head, forcing himself awake to compose his thoughts. He looked down at his desk, papers strewn every which-way and that. Some crumpled. Some even drooled on. Dammit. Now he was going to have to make more copies.

With a much needed yawn and a quick stretch, Vlad reached over his scattered documents and contracts to grab his cell phone. He picked it up and checked to see who was making the call. The name _Danny _flashed brightly across the tiny screen.

Vlad raised a questioning eyebrow and checked his watch.

_Strange. Why isn't he home already? _He thought, flipping his cell phone open. "Hello?"

"_Uh, hey, Vlad."_

"Daniel, where are you? You should've been home already," Vlad spoke, getting up from his chair to stretch his legs.

"_Oh, you know. Just kinda lost track of time, I guess. Hehe."_

Vlad pulled the phone away from his ear, giving it a once-over as if it were actually Danny. He continued to talk. "Well, is everything all right? Are you on your way home?"

There was a slight pause before Vlad heard Danny's nervous voice. He could feel his heart rate beginning to quicken.

"_Yeah, about that—I'm going to need you to pick me up. And bring your check book."_

Vlad's eyes widened. "A-are you okay? Where are you? I'll be there before you know it!" He rushed all too quickly, immediately throwing on his blazer and grabbing his keys.

"_Calm down, Vlad. I'm fine."_

The billionaire stopped, already out of his study and heading downstairs to the front door. "Then what's the matter?"

The words suddenly began rushing out of Danny's mouth. _"Okay, before I say anything, I promise I'll explain everything as soon as you get here, so please, please, please don't get mad at what—"_

"Daniel, where are you?" Vlad shouted, his patience waning thin.

"_I'm—I'm kinda in…" _He sighed, the tone in his voice sounding defeated. _"I'm in jail, Vlad."_

(-)

Saying that security was tight at the Stonewall Penitentiary was like calling the kettle black. A complete understatement.

After the battle between the Titans and the Brotherhood of Evil's massive army of super villains, it was only reasonable that they all be sent to a confinement ten times greater than Jump City's mere prison facility. Only the worst of the worst were sent here, along with other meek villains called upon by the Brotherhood to be used as measly pawns. But no matter their insignificance, the Titans advised the president of the Stonewall Penitentiary to keep every villain they managed to capture under permanent lockdown.

Slade had read up on the Stonewall Penitentiary many times before. If he'd never served under Trigon and regained his powers with the Ring of Azar, breaking and entering would've been a nightmare. Thankfully, he knew exactly what he was looking for and had the ultimate trick up his sleeve to entering the prison without breaking a sweat.

"Clockwork, if you please." The masked villain requested politely.

The Master of Time shot Slade a defiant stare, but held up his scepter, nonetheless. He uttered his familiar contagion before pressing the button that released his power. "Time out."

From then on, breaking and entering was merely child's play. Although Slade didn't really need Clockwork until the actual confrontation with the ghost boy, it was still nice to have the time travelling ghost at his side. It sure made the steps in his plans run along more smoothly.

"I don't understand."

Slade looked up at the time traveler, making sure to keep a sharp eye for the cell he was looking for. "What's not to understand? We're simply here to collect a few more pawns, slip out, and carry on with the next step."

"Not that," Clockwork scorned. "I may be the Ghost Zone's all-seeing ghost, but even I don't catch _everything_ that goes on in the world."

"Nobody's perfect," Slade remarked, taking a gentle stab at being humorous.

Clockwork brushed it off and continued. "How did you know of me? Surely Trigon wouldn't waste his time explaining the existence of the Ghost Zone, let alone its occupants. As far as I know, you hold no information about any us."

"Let's just say I know a guy; a former business partner who was rather intrigued by ghosts, as well as the technology to capture them. After that, my knowledge just picked up from there. However, sneaking a peak at some of his documents was a big help. If I hadn't done that, I would probably still be wondering aimlessly through the Ghost Zone. A big place, I might add."

"That's another thing I don't get. How were you able to enter the Ghost Zone anyway? Despite not knowing much about you, I have no record of you building or even owning a ghost portal."

Slade held up a hand. The Ring of Azar gleamed almost mocking in Clockwork's face. "Trigon's power holds no boundaries."

Clockwork shot Slade another glare and just when he was about to open his mouth once again, the masked villain came to an abrupt halt. If it weren't for being able to slip through solid objects, the Master of Time would've knocked right into Slade. Instead, he merely fazed through, turning back to watch the masked man tear through the metal door with burning hands.

A fog of smoke transpired out of the cell. Both Clockwork and Slade stepped in. Normally, ghosts were immune to below freezing temperatures, but the cell room's icy fixture was enough to make even Clockwork shiver. Slade, however, didn't seem fazed by it and simply walked towards his newest pawn.

The time traveler raised his eyebrow in question. "Madame Rouge?"

Slade looked up. "What happened to not knowing everything about everyone?"

"I never said I knew her whole back-story." Clockwork remarked. He pointed his chin at the frozen villain. "A shape shifter? Planning on tricking the boy in more ways than one?"

"Perhaps, along the way. As of right now, I need her strictly for appearances."

The masked villain raised both hands, making sure he was a good distance away from Madame Rouge. In a matter of seconds, his gloved palms began to glow a vivid shade of red. Already, the temperature was beginning to rise and the ice entrapping Madame Rouge started to melt away in a puddle of water.

Finally, after making sure no ice was left on the shape shifter's body, Slade reached into his pocket and pulled out one of Clockwork's many medallions; a ticket to escaping the time freeze. He placed it around Madame Rouge's neck and waited for the medallion to do its job.

Madame Rouge gasped abruptly, her breaths quick and continuous as she recollected her thoughts. Where was she? Where were Monsieur Mallah and the army of villains fighting off the Titans? Had they lost? Did they manage to imprison her? How could this be?

She looked up at Slade and a rather old ghost that quickly changed into a small child. Madame Rouge gave them both a sharp stare, her voice cracking after months of disuse. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you?" she demanded, using a thick, Russian accent.

Slade raised his hand in a polite gesture. "We'll start with introductions later, my dear. Right now, we have a schedule to keep up." He looked up at Clockwork. "Even though we may have all the time in the world, when it comes to getting the job done, I don't like to slack off."

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**End of chapter one! Woot! Stay tuned for chapter two! And don't forget to review! Whoever reviews will be showered with much praise and admiration. lol XD**

**DFTBA ("Don't forget to be awesome" – John Green)**

**Uzumaki Nekkyo**


	3. Even Rabbits Insult a Dead Lion

**Going off topic here for a second, but I FINALLY GOT A JOB! XD Tomorrow, I'm starting my training for McDonald's! I know, not much of a job, but at least it's something. No more bugging my parents about money. And I can finally stop hearing my grandparents and aunt nag me about not starting college until the spring.**

**So, yeah. Enough about that. Here's the second chapter to "Sealed Fate". Let's give a big round of applause for TwiLyght Sans Sparkles and dragondancer123, my amazing beta readers. You guys are awesome. :)**

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**~Chapter 2~**

**"Even Rabbits Insult a Dead Lion"**

(-)

Three reasons why Danny Fenton needs his driver's license ASAP:

1. No more crowding the bus

2. Freedom to go wherever, whenever

3. Less chance of getting killed by Vlad's suicidal driving!

Danny swore he saw his life flash before his eyes after Vlad nearly ran over a crossing cat. Until this day, he always wondered why the billionaire always chose to be chauffeured around town instead of taking one of the seven cars parked in his garage. Now he knew why. The guy suffered from a severe case of Road Rage.

"What feeble-minded Neanderthals!" Vlad exclaimed, nearly driving past a stop sign, but came to an abrupt halt.

Danny banged his head harshly against his seat and groaned dramatically. "Damn, Johnny Blaze. Keep this up and I'm gonna have major back problems before I even graduate."

Vlad tapped the steering wheel irritably, paying no mind to Danny's comment. "Those pigs. It's a good thing I mentioned those hidden cameras, Daniel. How could they forget about the hidden cameras? They're set up in every alleyway all across Madison, for heaven's sake. The _nerve_of those officers, trying to charge you eight hundred dollars for _battery_and _disorderly conduct_.Why, I should march right back in that station and sue them for false accusation. All they care about is making a quick buck off of any poor sap they can find. Those narcissistic, money-grubbing, imprudent little—"

Danny checked his sports watch, amazed that only five minutes had gone by since him and Vlad left the station. The rant had continued, uninterrupted, from the moment they left the station and hadn't lost any momentum. He felt bad for calling and interrupting Vlad's afternoon nap—which he noticed after hearing how groggy he sounded on the phone—but after the police demanded eight hundred dollars from him in exchange for being released, Danny knew he had no other choice.

Danny sunk in his seat, contemplating on bashing his head against the glove compartment, or chucking Vlad out the window. What he would give to have his iTouch with him right now. Blasting a good Dumpty Humpty song to tune the billionaire out sounded like pure bliss. But of course, he had to go and get the stupid thing confiscated after making his one phone call to Vlad and then forgetting to ask for it back once he was free to go. Three months worth of allowance, down the drain.

"You're lucky."

Danny looked up at Vlad curiously, surprised the ranting had suddenly stopped without warning.

The elder halfa kept his eyes on the road. "If you were to have transformed back in that alley, you would've been caught by those security cameras. Not only would the Madison Police Department know about your little secret, but so will the whole world."

Danny shot Vlad a harmless glare. "But, I _didn't_go ghost, so I have nothing to worry about," he pointed out, his tone just a tad bit irritated.

Vlad gave the younger halfa a worried glance. "True, my dear boy." He sighed. "But part of me wishes you had. Taking on those animals in your human form—"

"Please." Danny rolled his eyes, interrupting the billionaire. "I've dealt with worse back at Casper High. At least Dash didn't crawl to a fetal position after only two hits. I could've easily taken down James Murdock and his crew a second time with my hands tied behind my back."

"Aren't you gleaming with confidence?" Vlad smiled, his words holding only a drop of sarcasm.

Danny couldn't help but smile. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't always need my ghost half to put bullies in their place."

"Even rabbits insult a dead lion, Daniel."

The young halfa blinked, his expression blank. "Oh, wow, that's the last time I treat you to Panda Express."

"Which, I might add, was fairly delicious." Vlad complimented.

Danny grinned. "Better than that orange condor stuff you always make?"

"_Canard l'orange_, Daniel." Vlad corrected. "And, no. Nothing can beat the magnificent tang of roasted duck marinated in sweet orange sauce."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just give me some orange chicken and fried rice and I'll be happy."

Vlad reached over and ruffled Danny's shaggy, raven hair, laughing. The younger halfa smiled at the gesture, trying with no avail to escape the elder halfa's hand.

"You're a very stubborn boy, Danny," said Vlad, his tone now serious. "Strong, yes. Not many fifteen year old boys can get up right away after taking a punch from someone three times their size." He looked at Danny. "But you were careless, Daniel. Even from the security monitor at the station, I could see you were reaching your limit. If you hadn't chosen your moves carefully, you could've walked away with worse than a bloody lip."

The younger halfa subconsciously touched his lower lip. It was swollen and numb, but he paid no mind to it. It was only a matter of time before the rapid healing would begin. The many advantages of carrying ghost DNA.

Danny glanced at Vlad. If only he knew how close he'd come to using Phantom to take down James. He didn't want to tell Vlad. Not after giving off this confident persona.

Vlad glanced at Danny, noticing his sudden silence. He frowned, wondering if he'd gone too far and struck a nerve.

"Tell you what." He smiled. "Since you're so confident with handling situations on your own, I"ll make you a deal."

Danny looked up at his guardian, his interest peaked. "I'm listening."

(-)

"A sparring match?"

The billionaire nodded, undoing the buttons on his blazer before casually setting it on the coat rack in the living room. "If you're so certain you can handle things on your own without relying on Danny Phantom, then I'd like you to prove it to me. Think of it as another one of our regular matches. And to make things fair, I won't be using any ghost powers whatsoever."

Danny turned abruptly, not sure what he was hearing. Vlad Masters. _Sparring_? The younger halfa laughed, cradling his stomach. It was almost too much to take in seriously. "Hold on, so you're going to fight me as Vlad Masters? Not Plasmius? Hahaha! Can Vlad Masters even take a punch anymore?"

"Laugh if you may, Daniel. However, don't let the twelve hundred dollar suit fool you. All those years of enhancing my ghostly abilities really helped me in developing muscle as well." Vlad smiled, rolling up the sleeve of his dress shirt to show-off a slightly built bicep.

"Wow."

"Impressed?"

"No, that you actually spent twelve hundred dollars on a suit?" Danny grinned.

The billionaire shot the younger halfa a lazy glare, rolling up his other sleeve before bending down to move the couch.

Danny folded his arms, standing his ground to watch Vlad. "Tell me again why we're sparring in the living room. What's wrong with the gym downstairs?"

Vlad set the couch where it needed to be, moving on to the coffee table next. "Because, my dear boy, a certain _someone_ forgot to clean the gym after our last training session the other night. Any idea whose job that was, Daniel?"

"Uh, beats me." Danny chuckled, sprinting to help Vlad move the coffee table to the nearest corner of the living room.

"Alright," said the billionaire, satisfied with the free space. "Here are the rules. No going ghost and no use of any ghostly abilities. The match stops after the first person taps out."

Danny nodded, stretching out his arms and legs, preparing for combat. "So what happens when I win?" the younger halfa smirked.

"If you win, I'll let you slide with your chores for an entire month. No dishes, no trash duty, no cleaning up the gym, and no dusting or vacuuming." He shot Danny a look. "Although, I'm not sure if this is much of a wager, seeing as you hardly do any of your chores to begin with."

Danny smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye-contact. Vlad continued on with a smirk. "However, Daniel, if _I_so happen to win, you will be required to go ghost outside of the castle at least twice a month for non-fighting purposes. Flying from school to home is a good example, as long as you're covert about it."

Danny stood flabbergasted. "You're using a bet in trying to get me to go ghost outside the castle?" he shook his head. "Vlad, I told you, I'll only allow myself to go ghost under extreme emergencies and training purposes _only_."

"That, I understand greatly, my dear boy," said Vlad. "But if you're so convinced you are able to hold your own without relying on Danny Phantom to protect you, then you should be confident about making this bet." He shrugged. "I'm just simply going by the boasting I heard on the way over here. It's you who makes the final decision. Your choice—little badger."

Danny couldn't help but glare, clenching and unclenching his fists in a desperate attempt to calm his nerves. He knew what Vlad was doing. He'd done it every chance he got when they would come face-to-face as hero and archenemy. The elder halfa would simply play mind games with him, reversing the situation so Danny would seem like a fool not to take the bait. It worked every time.

The fifteen-year-old looked up at his guardian, his irises green and glowing. He dragged out his foot, standing in a firm fighting stance. The younger halfa reached a hand towards the billionaire, gesturing him with two fingers before flashing a self-satisfied smirk. "Your move, _Unkie Vlad_."

It was Vlad's turn to shoot Danny a menacing glare, his eyes glowing a deep shade of red. He clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully to his opponent, readying his fists for combat. Danny could feel his heartbeat quicken, his veins pumping with so much adrenaline it was intoxicating.

The elder halfa couldn't help but grin, taking a moment to crack his neck before circling his opponent. Danny didn't dare take his eyes off of Vlad as they stepped in rhythm with each other, awaiting the first move. Even though the billionaire was as old as his old man, Danny wasn't about to let a simple number lower his guard. He hadn't with James and he wasn't about to with Vlad.

Suddenly, like a crocodile attacking its prey, Vlad took the opportunity to strike. Danny watched as the billionaire moved intensively, making sure he knew where his fists were going to strike. With one fist aiming for his abdomen, Danny quickly made an attempt to block Vlad's attack with his palm. But the billionaire was cunning.

With one hand preoccupied, Danny decided Vlad would strike with his other hand the second his first attack would be blocked. As if on cue, Vlad's free hand went sailing towards Danny's cheek in a fierce hammer fist. The younger halfa backed away as far as he could, letting go of Vlad's fist before his other one could crash straight into his jaw. He was free. But not for long.

Quickly, the billionaire came rushing at Danny, going in for a fast shot at his legs. Danny jumped while Vlad's leg swept underneath him, making his body spin in a perfect three-sixty. But before Danny could even land on his feet, Vlad was on him like a tick, striking swift blows every which way and that. Danny managed to keep up, dodging left, right, left, until finally, Vlad knocked him straight in the jaw. The full force hook shot made Danny see stars until he hit the ground. Hard.

Vlad smirked, waiting for the boy to get up. "Never let the enemy get in more than four strikes, Daniel. Always keep an eye out for an opening. If your enemy exceeds the four strike limit, retreat, and then strike whilst your opponent has their guard down. Never give them the opportunity to strike before you."

Danny wiped the liquid dribbling from his mouth. When he realized it was only saliva, not blood, he looked up at Vlad. Making sure he had the upper hand, Danny swiped his foot across Vlad's legs, attempting to knock him off his feet. The billionaire immediately caught Danny's attack and leaped out of the way, landing like a cat, perfectly on his feet.

Danny was back in the game, ready for battle. This time, instead of waiting for Vlad to strike, he charged after the elder halfa himself. Three strikes, that's all he needed. One curl shot to the left. One curl shot to the right. Then, _bam_! Sneak attack straight to the abdomen.

The elder halfa doubled over, feeling the wind instantly empty from his lungs. With the billionaire defenseless, Danny took advantage of this opportunity and jumped, twisting his body in a perfect three-sixty before sticking his leg out, letting it connect straight into Vlad's shoulder. The elder halfa was knocked to the ground, landing with a loud _thump_before he winced in pain. The younger halfa landed gracefully.

"Ah, very nice, my boy." Vlad coughed, letting the air back into his lungs. "You've been working on that flying roundhouse kick I taught you."

"Actually, I learned that one from my mom. You just helped me perfect it." Danny smiled.

Vlad returned the favor.

The billionaire winced, picking himself gradually. He may have been weakened by Danny's attacks. However, he wasn't ready to clock out just yet.

"I must say, you've improved quite nicely over these past months, Daniel."

Danny couldn't help but smile. "Thanks."

"However, being a billionaire and voted _Wisconsin's Wealthiest_—it's easy to see that I am a man of triumph and success. A man who always gets what he wants, no matter the obstacle." He grinned, popping his knuckles, ready for combat. "In other words, Daniel—I hate to lose."

And then he was gone. Right before Danny's eyes, Vlad Masters seemed to have vanished right into thin air. It didn't take long for the younger halfa to realize the billionaire had gone invisible. That sneaky little liar!

With great trepidation, Danny circled around the living room, his eyes darting from left to right, up and down, side to side. If anything, he'd be able to hear Vlad's footsteps unless he transformed completely. But even then, he would've seen the ring form around his body. He had to be somewhere, anywhere, waiting to strike his most vulnerable point.

Then it hit him. _Bam_! Square in the back. Danny doubled over, slamming firmly to the ground before he quickly picked himself back up, searching his surroundings like a hunter in the woods. "You son of a—you said no ghostly abilities whatsoever!"

"Oops. Must've slipped my mind." Vlad chuckled, his voice bouncing off the walls in every direction. Like there was more than one.

_Clones. Dammit, he must've cloned himself to mess with my head._

"We live in a world of crime, Daniel—" Vlad's voice trailed off. "No matter where you go, there's bound to be some maniac more powerful than your average mugger. A fanatic with a gun, a psycho with special powers. You can punch and kick and scream and curse for as long as your body will allow you. But Danny Fenton can't take on every bad guy out there."

Danny clenched his fists, feeling the anger starting to boil inside of him. Mind games, that's all they were. Messing with his mind until he finally caved and resulted to using Phantom. He wasn't going to do it. Maybe before the accident, Danny would've transformed the minute Vlad did. But he made a promise. Emergencies only. Emergencies only.

Another sneak attack, this time from below. Vlad managed to knock Danny down, performing an invisible sweep kick. Danny growled in frustration, crawling back on his feet before Vlad could strike again.

This wasn't going to work. Danny Fenton might be able to hold his own in a fight between bullies and petty spirits like the Box Ghost. But he couldn't handle someone like Vlad Plasmius all on his own. He knew Vlad wouldn't hurt him. If they were still mortal enemies, there would be no holding back. Danny Fenton would be down for the count in less than five seconds, sharing the same fate as his friends and family.

Danny shook his head, shoving the bad thoughts away. There had to be something he could do. Something he could use to sense Vlad.

_Wait a minute,_Danny thought. It wasn't really a ghostly ability. Normally, it just came without warning. However, after living with Vlad for over a year, he'd gotten use to sensing Plasmius. But, if he focused hard enough, if he really concentrated, he could probably pinpoint the elder halfa's location.

"I know what you're trying to do, Vlad." Danny grinned, stalling for time. "You're trying to make me use my ghost powers in order to defeat you. Well it's not going to work. Danny Fenton can last longer in a fight than you think."

"Is that so?"

_Come on, come on. Focus!_Danny urged, making sure his defenses were on high alert. Taking a risk, the younger halfa shut his eyes, listening in on any noise Vlad happened to make, if he made any, to save the least. He had to focus, let the energy flow and….

_There he is!_ To the left. He could sense him; feel the slight movement of air coming towards his face. Danny moved out of the way, mentally picturing Vlad's position before him. He could sense it; his upper body just inches away. Without a moment's hesitation, Danny reached out blindly before him, grabbing on to what felt like Plasmius's cape. He tugged, _hard_, bringing his opponent closer before striking with a quick jab.

Plasmius growled, becoming visible right before Danny's eyes. The impact was powerful, enough to make him lose his footing before colliding with the hard floorboard. Too much. Everything was spinning. And just like that, the elder halfa was down, staring up at his opponent, both shocked and astounded.

Danny stood his ground, placing his hands on his hips in victory. He shot Vlad a predatory grin, letting him know that this fight was officially over. The elder halfa couldn't help but chuckle.

_Just like his parents._

"I'm—I'm impressed, Daniel. Well done."

Danny smiled, walking towards Vlad and crouching down so that they were eye-to-eye. The younger halfa smirked. "Told you I could hold my own. Then again, I couldn't have done it without a great teacher."

He reached out a hand, a peace offering to his guardian. Vlad willingly obliged, taking the boy's hand to prop himself back on his feet. He winced slightly, but ignored it, staring straight into Danny's icy blue orbs.

"You've progressed amazingly over these past months, my boy. Your curl shots are spot-on and you've perfected the flying roundhouse kick quite nicely. I don't know what else to say other than…"

Danny had seen many action movies with a surprise twist. Just when you thought the hero was going to walk away the victor, the bad guy would either rise from the dead or wake up from a coma and spring into action, holding a gun straight at the protagonist's head. Vlad wasn't holding a gun to Danny's head, but it was a weapon, so to speak.

"… Bang, bang." The billionaire droned, pressing his fingers against Danny's temple, his hand shaped like firearm.

Danny took a step back from the elder halfa, confusion eminent on his face. "Uh, what the hell was that?"

"It's called never holding back, my boy. In an actual battle, the enemy never holds back. He doesn't wait for you to get up when he knocks you down and he certainly doesn't give you time to strategize his weak points; neither a bully in the halls or a maniac with inhuman abilities. No matter what the circumstances, you never reveal your weakness to the enemy, Danny."

"God, I don't want to talk about this, Vlad, okay? You know my powers are used for training purposes and emergency situations only. Of all people, you should understand why."

"But I do understand, Daniel." Vlad spoke, close to yelling. "Believe me, when I had heard about that dreadful accident … devastated doesn't even begin to describe the way I felt. You know how I felt about your mother, Daniel. I loved her more than any other woman in my life. And Jack … although he was a blithering idiot at times, he was still my best friend. My only friend, to be honest. Everyone else I talked to in college either ignored me because I studied ghosts and mythological creatures or because I was so cocky and full of myself when it came to science, mathematics, and literature. But your father … he didn't seem to care what my interests were or how intelligent I acted. In fact, ghosts were what brought us together as friends."

Danny balled his hands into tight fists, his knuckles popping and turning ghostly white. "Yeah, and they're also what tore you apart…."

Vlad was silent, opening his mouth to say something to the boy, but couldn't find the words he was looking for. He didn't want to press the situation any further. After living with the boy for over a year, Vlad knew very well that Danny had a history of letting his anger get the better of him. It was one of the few flaws the younger halfa held, but Vlad had grown use to it, nonetheless.

With a hard glare and nothing else to say, Danny turned his back on his guardian, his hands tightened into hard fists. Tension in his shoulders and the posture he gave off implied he wanted to say something. Anything. But, just like Vlad, Danny couldn't find the right words either.

"I'm—I'm going to my room. I'll take out the trash and clean the gym after I rest, okay?" Danny spoke, making a beeline for the stairs as quickly as possible. Vlad nodded in approval, even though he was sure the young halfa couldn't see him.

The billionaire sighed, running his fingers through his silver hair. It was frustrating work, raising a teenager. He knew things weren't going to be easy when he took Danny under his wing. The boy was terrified of transforming into his ghostly self unless he had to, after all. But Vlad respected his wishes. At least, a part of him did. It was clear the boy wanted nothing to do with Danny Phantom.

Vlad hated to see Danny beat himself up over an accident that wasn't his fault. The boy had incredible potential when he was Danny Phantom. He was Amity Park's savior, their hero. All he wanted was for the boy to not be afraid of his other half—to accept the death of his loved ones and move on. Like he knew they would want him to.

Vlad sighed dejectedly, taking a seat on the nearest couch. He reached inside his pocket, taking out his wallet to reveal a picture of him and Danny. It was three months ago—Danny's fifteenth birthday. At first, the boy had just wanted a simple birthday dinner, but Vlad never enjoyed the simple things. So instead, he took Danny out to Wisconsin Dells, home of the best water parks in the state.

The elder halfa smiled, looking up at the stairway where Danny retreated to his room. After the accident, Danny had never forgiven himself for the tragedy Dan Phantom conveyed. He told the billionaire he just wanted to be a regular kid, to start his life over as a normal high school student. The lab accident back home robbed Danny of his freshman year and the younger halfa wanted nothing more than to make up for it by starting over at Madison High.

However, Vlad knew Danny wasn't doing much in achieving this goal. He never invited friends over, never talked about anyone from school, and half the time, the boy would always come home with bruises and sprained limbs after playing the hero act for some defenseless girl or little kid.

"But it's not enough," Vlad whispered. He loved Danny. Loved him like the son he always wanted. Because the boy was so stubborn and apprehensive, Phantom hardly ever had time to shine. Even though the boy was convinced he could hold his own as Danny Fenton—Vlad was sure the day Danny would realize he _needed_his ghost half … it would be too late.

"_Vlad!"_ Danny called out from upstairs.

Vlad's head perked as he got up from the couch. "I'm still in the living room. What is it?"

Danny ran to the top of the steps, holding something small and black in his hand. It didn't take long for the billionaire to realize it was his cell phone.

He patted his pockets, noticing they were empty. Strange. He must've left his cell phone after rushing back upstairs to retrieve his check book.

"It's for you," said Danny. "Some headmistress for some private school or something."

The elder halfa handed the phone to his guardian, immediately running back upstairs to his room. Vlad looked at his phone in wonder, thinking back on any private schools he was affiliated with. None came to mind.

"Hello," he answered.

"_Good evening, Mister Masters—"_It was a woman. An elderly woman, by the sound of it. _"This is Helen Blythe, headmistress for the H.I.V.E Academy."_

The H.I.V.E Academy! Of course, how could he forget doing business with them nearly seven years ago?

"Oh, yes, Miss Blythe, of course! It's been a while, how are you?" he panicked, practically kicking himself for forgetting Helen Blythe. After all, she was the one who introduced him to one of his best business partners.

"_Fine, fine, Mister Masters."_She droned, continuing on. _"As you may have guessed, I'm calling to discuss the issues with Brother Blood."_

Oh, right. After the death of his former business partner, Slade, Brother Blood had taken control of the H.I.V.E Academy without any documentation or authority, leaving Vlad out of quite a handful of money. He'd gotten a call from Helen Blythe a year ago, saying that she would fight in court to retrieve the money he was robbed. He'd completely forgotten about it after the whole mess with Danny and taking him under his wing.

"Right, of course. Were you able to redeem the money?" asked Vlad.

"_Rest assured, Mister Masters. Your money is safe. Although retrieving it from the court wasn't a simple task. If I hadn't played my cards right, both of us would've shared the same fate as Brother Blood. However, exchanging the amount owed to you will require a great deal of work. Because of Mister Slade's sudden death, there are papers to be signed and documents to go over before you can obtain your share of the profit."_

Vlad nodded. "What do you propose, Miss Blythe? Shall I give you my e-mail address? Or would you rather fax them to me?"

"_No need. I've scheduled a private jet to pick you up from Madison, Wisconsin in as little as three days. Better you get the job done in Jump City rather than having to go through all that transferring nonsense. I trust this is all right with you, Mister Masters? Or would you rather reschedule?"_

Vlad looked up at the stairway. Normally when he attended business trips, Danny would always tag along with him. However, with something like this, the billionaire could spend hours at the H.I.V.E Academy filing paper work and going over documents. He'd hardly be able to spend time with Danny in Jump City and even though the boy was fifteen, he still felt skittish about leaving him alone for too long. But he couldn't just leave him alone in the castle.

Vlad ran his fingers though his hair in frustration. It was a tough decision and far too much money for him to pass up. Travelling would be good for the boy. And on top of that, Jump City was home to the world famous, Teen Titans. Watching them possibly in person could give Danny the little push he needs in accepting his superhero alter-ego. Who knew, he might even be open to accepting Phantom once again.

The elder halfa made up his mind, pressing the phone back to his ear. "No need, Miss Blythe. Friday will be perfect."

* * *

**And that's a wrap. Hope you guys liked it. I had to go through many changes and revisions until I was finally satisfied with this chapter. Hopefully next time it won't take me so long to post chapter three. Then again, I can't really promise anything seeing as I have a job now. (Hehe, I never get tired of saying that)**

**But anyway, see you guys next time. And don't forget to review! XD**

**Oh, and before I forget, thank you so much for those who of you who commented on chapter two. Give it up for:**

**Linzerj, ****Umbra8191, ****monster for hire, ****dragondancer123, ****Umbra-Luna, ****TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, ****And Mr. or Ms. Unknown Commenter**

**Keep it up guys. But don't worry readers who added added my story to their alerts and favorites. Now, let's give it up for:**

**kuuz, ****l Aysu l, ****max firestorm, ****Taxicat2, ****Yuul, ****Avarientar, ****bookrascal, ****bookwyrm31, ****hurlebibi, ****PhatNaruto18, ****rose the packs fang**

**You guys all rock! :D ****DFTBA!**

**- Uzumaki Nekkyo**


	4. You Got the Sonic, I Got the Boom

**'Ello fellow readers. Sorry it took me so long to reply. Working at McDonald's is killer. (Who knew). Especially when you have a co-worker who expects you to get things 100% accurate on your first day. Ugh! I despise She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! But, whatev's. She hasn't been on my case in a while, so that's cool. I also got my first paycheck! Not as much as I was expecting to get (because She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named - who's not even the manager - kept sending my ass home early -_-') but hey, it's still money! XD Plus, my other co-workers make it fun working their. :D**

**But, enough of me bitching and whining. Here's the third chapter to "Sealed Fate". Hope you all enjoy it! **

**Once again, thank you so, so much to my fabulous beta-readers, TwiLyght Sans Sparkles and dragondancer123. Keep up the amazing work. XD**

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**~Chapter 3~**

**"You Got the Sonic, I Got the Boom"**

(-)

Madame Rouge tapped the 'off' button on the communicator, ending her call with the Wisconsin billionaire. She looked up at her masked savior with skeptical eyes, handing him back the device without the slightest hint of emotion.

"Very convincing, my dear." Slade nodded, taking the communicator. "I trust Vlad Masters will be arriving as planned?"

"Enough stalling." Madame Rouge snapped, her arms folded. "I've done what you have asked, now tell me what it is you are planning. You may have freed me, but I still have the obligation to refuse your proposition if I find your motives … inconsequential."

Slade couldn't help but smirk, looking into the shape shifter's smug face. He didn't need to plan ahead for a situation like this. If Madame Rouge refused to be a part of his plan … well, it was her loss. He knew she was aware of the capabilities he held and was probably confident she could take him down, no problem. However, Madame Rouge wasn't aware of the powers he held now. If the Master of Time surrendered before him in a matter of seconds, taking out the shape shifter wouldn't be a difficult task.

"Fair enough," he answered, slipping the communicator casually inside his pocket. Madame Rouge glowered at the device.

Strange. Before she was ordered to make the call to trick Vlad Masters into attending a false business trip to Jump City, the communicator was nothing more than an outdated piece of equipment that had gone through months, perhaps even years of mistreatment. That is, until the cloaked figure floating before her transformed the device into advanced technology with just a simple wave of his scepter, leaving the armor-clad man with a brand new toy.

Clockwork. A time-wielder whom Madame Rouge was very unfamiliar with, despite being knowledgeable in the studies of super villains and criminal masterminds, thanks to the Brain. She stared up at the pale man, her coal eyes brimming with malevolent curiosity. Whatever tricks Slade had rolled up his sleeves, they must be something big if he had the power of time on his side.

"As you may recall," Slade began. "After searching the H.I.V.E Academy for a worthy apprentice, I managed to resign my efforts after discovering former Titan, Terra Markov. However, although she swore her loyalty to me, things ended in a tragic turn of events, ending my life for good. But, thanks to Raven's, benevolent father, as well as the Ring of Azar, I can now say I have laughed death in the face."

Madame Rouge blinked, her face free of any emotion, but her pulse quickened.

So the rumors were true. Not only had Terra managed to kill Jump City's most hardened criminal, but Slade was also resurrected by the Lord of the Underworld himself—the King of Hell—obtaining the Ring of Azar in the process.

The shape shifter cringed. What in God's name had this man gotten himself into?

Slade paused, looking straight at Madame Rouge with his visible eye, his arms tucked nonchalantly behind his back. "Tell me, my dear. Are you familiar with Amity Park's Nasty Burger explosion that happened some time ago?"

Madame Rouge raised her eyebrow in curiosity. She nodded. "The invasion of Dan Phantom…. Strange—how much he resembles the ghost boy whom Amity Park dubs as their savior."

"That's because the ghost child and Dan Phantom share more than just physical similarities," Slade answered, turning to give Clockwork a heedless glance.

The cloaked man nodded, waving his scepter in front of a blank wall next to Madame Rouge's cell. Suddenly, an oscillation of blurry images appeared.

Madame Rouge raised her eyebrows in interest, watching the images unfold like a series of home videos strewn together in a rushed production. In a matter of seconds, a scene starring Danny Fenton began to play.

"Before the accident—before the death of his loved ones—Danny Fenton was nothing more than a fourteen year old high school student trying to fit in. Although deemed unpopular, he had friends, goofed around, and lived under the roof of two aspiring ghost hunters."

Clockwork waved his scepter, changing the scene into a young Danny Fenton stepping cautiously into a metallic portal in a white and black jumpsuit similar to the ghost boy's.

"However, after stumbling in his parent's lab, Danny was caught in an unanticipated explosion, giving him the ability to transform into the ghost boy you know now."

Madame Rouge glowered at the images, some showing the ghost boy fighting off other ghosts, while others showed him doing simple abilities, such as flying or shooting beams of translucent green. The shape shifter pressed her lips into a firm line. From what she saw, the kid seemed to have a distinct talent all his own—a worthy opponent to any villain who would be up to the challenge of bringing him to his knees.

Madame Rouge clenched her hands into fists, her ruby-glossed lips curling into a self-satisfying smirk. Clockwork continued.

"Although unsure of what to do with his newfound powers, Danny took it upon himself to become the savior of Amity Park, protecting its citizens from any and every ghost attack that came his way." The time-wielder paused, his scepter frozen before the screen as if he were suddenly paralyzed. "But destiny took an unexpected turn for the worse."

He waved his scepter one last time, revealing an image Madame Rouge was quite familiar with after skimming through the paper prior to the incident.

Dan Phantom, Amity Park's strongest and most feared ghost ever to face up against the ghost boy. She studied intently as the scene began to unfold.

"It was predicted that Danny Fenton would grow up to be the most evil ghost to roam the earth. After being aware of what fate had in store for him, Danny did everything in his power to stop his alter-ego."

Clockwork paused, glancing darkly at Madame Rouge. "Despite what they say, history isn't written in stone. Anyone holds the ability to change their future…. But there are always dire consequences in the end. Despite Danny's success of defeating Dan Phantom, there still left one key factor. He still had to save his family and friends from the explosion. But, his efforts resulted in catastrophe…."

"I see," Madame Rouge nodded, sneaking a glance at Slade. "So your plan is to capture this, Danny Fenton?"

"Partly, yes," he answered. "However, it's not Danny Fenton I'm interested in. It's his alter-ego, Dan Phantom. With his abilities, Phantom could bring an entire army—an entire city—to its knees. However, despite him being trapped in the Fenton boy's metal thermos, acquiring said ghost will take some strategic effort."

Madame Rouge placed her hands on her hips, her expression skeptical. "So what do you propose?"

"Well, one thing's for sure—" Slade trailed off, walking towards the cells that surrounded Madame Rouge's door. "—we're going to need some backbone…."

(-)

Dim shadows. The dead of night. Darkness. Things that always seemed to terrify him as a little kid, a fear he never got over even through adulthood. But that was the past. Back when he would lie awake with four night lights guarding his bed, petrified of the darkness consuming him the second he'd shut his eyes.

Now, light followed him everywhere, and when the darkness would start to rear its ugly head, he'd simply find the nearest power source and consume it by force. No use in asking politely. As they say, nice guys finish last. And Dr. Light was anything but nice.

Robbing a bank during the middle of the night was an ironic turn of event. Although he despised the darkness with a great passion, doing things at night allowed him to flaunt his radiance throughout the city. However—whether in the form of special effects in Vegas or fireworks after a ball game—light always seemed to draw a crowd. Even the wrong kind.

The luminescent villain zipped up his fourth and final duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder before dashing out of the vault. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned, taking a quick mental picture of the nearly empty shelves that once stacked with money. The duffel bags weighed a ton and he wasn't sure he would be able to get far without running into Jump City's teen heroes. But he didn't mind. In fact, he was hoping to come across the infamous Teen Titans.

He stopped in the middle of the hallway, checking the left and then right before raising his hand to the nearest wall. In a matter of seconds, his palm started to glow a brilliant shade of white before a beam shot out, reducing the wall to bits of dust and rubble. Dr. Light grinned, hopping through the bank's new exit and stepping into the darkness of Jump City afterhours, the midnight air gracing his cheeks.

"Child's play." The doctor grinned; about to turn the corner before something caught his eye.

It was a streak of red, a quick flash that was too swift to be followed by the naked eye. But just as he felt the weight of his duffel bags start to decrease, the piles of money scattering to the ground, he knew what it was, and who the object belonged to.

"That's a lot of cash you got there, dude. Gonna use it to buy yourself some new nightlights?" Beast Boy retorted, his arms crossed in an arrogant stance.

Dr. Light grinned, setting down the now destroyed duffel bags oozing with bricks of cash. "Ah, the Teen Titans. I was hoping to come across you five."

Cyborg yawned, stretching out the imaginary kinks in his mechanical arms. "Whatever, man. Let's just cut the witty banter and get this over with so I can get some sleep."

"Oh, you'll be sleeping all right. Permanently!" He smirked, his hands glowing brightly before shooting two straight beams of light towards the five heroes. In one quick action, the Titans all scattered, taking their positions before Robin called out his oh-so famous battle cry before throwing an array of yellow and black circular disks.

Dr. Light did the mistake of watching the disks fall, exploding before him in three boisterous kabooms. The force was powerful—enough to knock him into the bank's wall behind him. Dr. Light groaned from the impact, landing flat on his butt before Raven and Starfire fired their green and black energy beams.

The luminescent villain got back on his feet, waving his hands in front of him to create an energy shield. The beams bounced off, making Dr. Light grin mockingly before he shot his own energy beams at the two heroines.

Raven and Starfire both took flight in different directions, avoiding the beams before Beast Boy and Cyborg entered the crossfire.

Beast Boy took the form of a pterodactyl, clutching onto Cyborg's shoulders with this massive claws while the mechanical teen readied his sonic cannon. Dr. Light had witnessed this attack before and clenched his hands into glowing fists, ready for anything. As he had anticipated, Cyborg fired head on, his light blue beam charging straight for the villain. The master of light quickly dodged the beam, raising his hands to point and fire until he noticed something.

With a release of his grip, Beast Boy let the android fall, watching as Cyborg headed straight for Dr. Light, his fist connecting with his jaw. The doctor immediately fell to the ground, avoiding the pain before he backhanded Cyborg with a swipe of his fist.

Robin glared at the villain as he watched his teammate fall. Quickly, he reached into his utility belt, grabbing his bo-staff and twirling it in an intimidating manner. Before Dr. Light had time to strike, Robin was charging after him, coming in with a pole-vaulting kick that knocked the villain square in the chest. But Dr. Light wasn't about to back down that easily.

With a frustrated growl, he slammed his palms together, dragging them apart to form a radiant ball of light. Robin's masked eyes widened as the doctor grinned viciously, the ball of energy cackling with harnessed energy. "Don't blink." He mocked, thrusting the ball forward, knocking the Boy Wonder right off his feet.

Robin groaned as he skidded across the hard asphalt, his skin hot to the touch as he bled from his elbows. He picked himself up and placed a gloved hand on his arm, wincing before the rest of the Titans assembled.

"This is pathetic," Raven droned. "We're losing to a walking nightlight."

"Any bright ideas, dude? No pun intended." Beast Boy commented, his arms folded, waiting for their leader to give them another strategy.

Robin glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Starfire helping Cyborg off the ground. The android mumbled, rubbing his head before he noticed their leader looking at him. He stared back, watching the Boy Wonder's lips curl into a mischievous grin.

"So, wanna give this guy the sonic boom?" he asked.

Cyborg's good eye widened, his expression stunned. "But, it's been forever since we—"

"You got the sonic—" he raised his gloved hand, revealing a shiny, metal disk yet to be used on Dr. Light. "—I got the boom."

At first, Cyborg was at a loss for words. But suddenly, realization dawned on him and he couldn't help but grin, readying his sonic blaster while he and Robin stood their ground, waiting for the right moment. Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy took the hint, nodding before taking flight towards Dr. Light.

The doctor eyed the three carefully, anticipating their attack before raising both hands towards the three Titans. Raven immediately flew in front of Starfire and Beast Boy before the wielder of light had time to strike. She chanted her mantra, waving her hands before her to create a dark energy shield much like the doctor's to protect her teammates. The beams of light fired by the villain bounced off, making the doctor angry until he noticed a green hawk speeding toward him.

Dr. Light hissed in pain after the changeling's sharp beak managed to knick him in the cheek. Frustrated, he swung violently at the green avian, desperately trying to grab him by the wings so he could tear him to shreds, but to no avail.

While the doctor was distracted, Robin and Cyborg took their positions, taking off running. The two were neck-and-neck, slamming their feet against the hard concrete before glancing at each other and nodding in approval.

"Beast Boy, move!" Cyborg commanded, the beam in his sonic cannon whirling to life.

"Raven, now!" Robin cried, watching as the sorceress raised her hands, commanding the asphalt around the two boys to lift in the air.

Robin and Cyborg both grinned, kicking their heels off the ground to jump on the vertical asphalt walls, using them as kickstands to push their bodies towards each other before spinning upside down. As they came closer and closer, Robin threw his disk toward Dr. Light right before Cyborg fired his blaster. In a matter of seconds, the radiant villain was stunned, watching the beam connect with the disk before exploding in a massive amount of energy.

_Kaboom! _He screamed from the burning heat of the detonation, shielding his eyes from the blast that was seeping through his protective jumpsuit. Bright light. Burning. Searing his skin at dangerous temperatures.

Cyborg and Robin both landed on their feet, watching as the smoke cleared and the screams subsided from the villain. Dr. Light kneeled before them on weakened knees, his jumpsuit in tattered remains while static danced across his skin from the battery pack strapped to his chest. Once again, he had gone up against Jump City's infamous Teen Titans. And—like every other villain to cross paths with these five superheroes—the battle had ended with them the victors and him, the failure.

"Alright, even though it's still way too early in the morning, even something that awesome deserves a booyah." Cyborg grinned, giving Robin a well deserved high-five.

"Oh, you two were most wonderful!" Starfire cheered, clapping her hands and giggling while she spun around in the air.

Raven rolled her eyes, her hand placed on her hip lazily. "Awesome, we defeated the bad guy and saved half the city from debt. Can we please go home now?"

Beast Boy yawned. "Seriously, dudes. I'm missing out on some major beauty sleep," he whined, tugging under his eyelids to make himself look like a sleepless zombie.

Robin smiled, proud of his team's progress as he walked towards Dr. Light, waving his arm for whoever wanted to help to follow him. "Alright guys, let's pack it up."

Raven took step behind her leader, producing a dark energy ring around the doctor, just in case he found the strength for another round. Cyborg followed shortly afterwards, walking towards Dr. Light and hoisted him over his shoulder while everyone else headed towards the T-Car, ready to drop Mr. Baddie of the Day to prison and head on home for some much needed sleep.

Robin stood his ground, making sure to keep an eye on the doctor just in case. However, once everyone managed to reach the car, something else caught his attention. Something beyond the horizon just behind the city bank.

It was the penitentiary, just down the mountains that bordered Jump City. Robin could feel his fingers curling as he watched the security lights shine with a luminescence that would make even Dr. Light jealous, twirling in a circular formation that dared for any villain held prisoner to attempt to escape the facilities.

Stonewall Penitentiary, rated the number one prison in California with the best security systems and officers money could buy. A perfect place to send even the most mediocre super villains ever to cause trouble in the streets of Jump City, and that's exactly where all of them ended up. Every single villain who played the role of a pawn in the Brain's sinister plan to take over the world.

But still, even though he knew every villain sent to Stonewall was frozen for all eternity—not to mention under the watchful eye of some of the best security officers in the state—to this day, Robin still couldn't shake the feeling that one day, the Titans would have to face old ghosts once again.

"Robin," Starfire spoke, placing a gentle hand on the Boy Wonder's shoulder. Robin looked up at the pretty Tamaranean, staring into two worried, emerald eyes; eyes that were always easy to read. "We are waiting for you. Is there something wrong?"

Guilt. An emotion that always seemed to stab at his heart whenever she used that tone, her words dripping with concern. Back when they were still new to the job—before the Brotherhood of Evil, Trigon, or even the H.I.V.E Academy's latest headmaster, Brother Blood—Starfire would always seem to worry about him, especially when Slade was on his mind. Who he was. What his motives were. When he was going to strike next.

That day—their triumphant takedown on every villain ever to stand up and challenge them face-to-face—Robin couldn't help but notice that there was still one person missing. The man who had brought him great frustration and nearly tore him apart from his teammates and closest friends.

"It is him, isn't it?"

Robin looked out towards mountains, his masked eyes set on the faint glow coming from the penitentiary. "He was never captured. Never found. It's been over a year and still, nothing. Not even a clue to where he is or whether he's going to strike again."

"Perhaps Slade has given up," Starfire added, her tone hopeful. But it wasn't enough to set Robin's mind at ease.

He glared at the penitentiary, his black and yellow cape dancing in the gentle, midnight wind. "Someone like him doesn't just give up, Star. He has to be somewhere—planning. Waiting."

The Tamaranean sighed, placing her hands on Robin's shoulders. The Boy Wonder shut his masked eyes, feeling the warmth of her fingertips seep through his cape to his bare shoulders. He wanted to relax, wanted to stop thinking so hard about a villain who was probably long gone. But the tension in his muscles seemed to be permanently fixed, forbidding him from loosening up and walking away from the situation.

"It is late," Starfire spoke, her voice just above a whisper. Robin turned from the mountains, following his teammate to the car before he was drowning in a sea recurring thoughts and queries. But before Starfire could notice, Robin glanced over his shoulder, catching one more glimpse of the dim lights radiating off the building that reached for the starry sky.

It was weird. At first, the lights seemed to dance in repeated circles, peeking through the mountains and ringing across the stars. But now, right as he glanced over his shoulder before stepping into the T-Car with the rest of the Titans—the lights seemed to just stop completely.

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**And that's a wrap! Sorry for it being so short, but I promise I'll try to make the next chapter longer. And sorry for not having Danny in this chapter, but at least you got your fill of the Teen Titans. XD **

**Alright, now let's get to the thank you's. Thank you so much to my fabulous reviewers:**

**Umbra8191, Orihime-San, prophetofgreed, SpiderPhantom, Linzerj, dragondancer123, MaxandFang101, hurlebibi, TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, Shiva the Sarcastic, Umbra-Luna, Krys-Kat, Karyn Phantom, and JackieDanielStark. Without you guys, "Sealed Fate" probably wouldn't have gotten so many hits. Thanks a bundle.**

**And thank you so much to those who added "Sealed Fate" to their alerts and favorites. Thanks a bundle:**

**CrazyLittleQuack, kuroyukihime2, MaxandFang101, My Name Is Ella, Ninja Cereal, Nintendo Player, untamabledragon144, Wing the Swordsman, 917brat, deranged black kitten of doom, hot dog285, hurlebibi, JackieDanielStark, Karyn Phantom, NekoEddo, Nintendo Player, prophetofgreed, Serlenia, Sheimi, Shiva the Sarcastic, Sugarpony, and Tegan Shade. You guys rock. XD**

**One more thing. I'd like to thank CrazyLittleQuack, Shadow1248, and Phantom Voltage for adding "Sealed Fate" to their communities and making me their subscriber. When you get the chance, check out Phantom Chronicles, Changed Circumstances, and Daddy Vladdy for more awesome DP crossover stories or just plain awesome DP stories. **

**Well, I guess that's it. Don't forget to R&R and thank you for reading another chapter of "Sealed Fate". DFTBA**

**- Uzumaki Nekkyo**


	5. This Calls for Some Major Explaining

**Hello my fellow readers. ^^ Sorry I haven't posted in a **_**long**_** time. Over a month, actually. Yikes! But, here's the long-awaited fourth chapter to that took many, many, many, MANY revisions. Ugh, finally, it's finished. **

**Speaking of revisions, thank you so much to my beta-reader, TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, for being so patient with me. You rock! And, to my other beta-reader, dragondancer1234, I'm sorry for not being patient and waiting for your critiques. T^T But I await your critiques and pointers on my next chapter.**

**So, without further adieu, here's chapter four of "Sealed Fate". Enjoy!**

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**~Chapter 4~**

"**This Calls for Some Major Explaining"**

(-)

Danny shut his eyes as the cool, autumn breeze caressed his face, commanding a few strands of his hair to dance. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, his fingers trembling from the cold. But he liked it. He loved the autumn season; where all the leaves changed a miraculous shade of colors instead of just plain green and the days became shorter, nights grew longer. It was times like these where Danny just wanted to take a nightly stroll, enjoying the scenery of red rose bushes and tall oak trees. It felt good to get away. Get away from all the hassle of life and all the unwanted—

Danny turned abruptly, his hands flying out of his pockets in defense. He could've sworn he heard something; a twig snapping, like one would hear in those cliché movies while walking through a deserted forest in the middle of the night. But when he turned, his eyes scanning the walkway—nothing. Just the rustle of leaves against the cobblestones.

Danny shrugged it off, turning around and continuing his nightly walk. Maybe he was just hearing things. After all, he had had a rough day. The headache he obtained after his argument with Vlad must be messing with his—

There it was again. Louder this time. Closer.

Danny turned around slowly, his fists up in defense, ready for combat. He scanned the walkway, but again, couldn't find any trace of someone following him.

He gulped nervously, feeling his heartbeat quicken, his adrenaline racing. "Who's there?" he asked, his words trembling.

Silence. Nobody but him taking a stroll. Empty. Just him.

But it couldn't be. He knew there had to be someone following him. Or at least … some_thing_. Something trying to sneak up on him. Pounce and make their attack the second he let his guard down.

Quickly, Danny scanned his surroundings, making sure there was no one behind him.

No one. All alone.

And then, a snap.

_Swish!_ A slice of air.

Danny winced, covering the small cut on his cheek, his senses going into overdrive. What the hell was that?

_Woosh! _Another hurricane of wind. A cold dagger nicking away at his arm, fresh blood seeping out of a thin wound.

Danny ground his teeth, frustrated. He scanned the park, searching for any hint of a shadow or body part. Nothing. But there was _someone_—_something _attacking him; inflicting small cuts across his body until he would finally be reduced to a bloody mess. But where was this person? Where was this thing!

"Show yourself, you coward!" Danny screamed, his voice echoing into the twilight.

"As you wish…."

Danny's eyes widened as he heard the faintest of footsteps connect with the smooth cobblestones. He turned, feeling everything move in slow motion. At the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of red, as dark as the color of blood. A flash of silver, nearly blinding him, reflected off a thick, metallic weapon. A gun, long and heavy.

Danny felt his whole body shiver, not knowing if it was because of the slight gust of wind or the frightened chills that crawled up his spine like centipedes scurrying through. It didn't take long for him to realize who he was staring face-to-face with once he noticed the black visor shining in the pale moonlight.

"V-Valerie?"

Valerie Gray stood nonchalantly, her hand placed on her hip while the other gripped her weapon of choice. Although Danny couldn't see her through the visor, he knew she must've been grinning sinisterly.

"Long time no see, Danny. Did you miss me?" Valerie chuckled, slinging her bazooka carelessly atop her shoulder. "Because I _certainly_ missed you."

"V-Valerie…. Valerie, i-it's me, Danny," he said, his lower lip quivering in fear.

"Oh, I know who you are," Valerie droned almost robotically. "And I know who you've become. Mister Superhero of Amity Park. Please. You may have been able to fool everyone else, Danny, but you can't fool me. While all of Amity Park was scratching their heads in wonder of who the oh-so famous ghost boy was or where he came from, I was the one who actually pieced everything together. All the disappearing acts, absences and tardies—I can't believe I never figured it out sooner. You _are _the ghost boy. The ghost boy who _ruined my life_!"

Danny cringed, his mouth hanging open in pure horror; beads of sweat decorating his face. He looked down at his legs, forcing them to move, but he couldn't. He was paralyzed. Paralyzed with fear and adrenaline that rendered him completely frozen. He couldn't escape. Couldn't run. Couldn't scream or cry for help because there would be no one to hear him. No one. Just her—the woman who was going to kill him with one pull of the trigger.

"Valerie, you—you don't understand."

"Shut up!" she ordered, her finger lingering on the trigger. "Of all people … I trusted you Danny. I trusted you with my life and actually felt sorry for you when your parents passed away. But now I know. The whole reason for their passing—was because _you_ killed them!"

"No! I would never…. Valerie, please, you have to understand, I would never do anything to harm the people I love. My family, Mister Lancer, Sam, Tucker…. Please, Valerie. You _know _me."

"No…." Valerie said, her voice just below a whisper. "I thought I knew you, Danny…. But I was wrong. Underneath all those fake smiles and goofy attitude, you're nothing but a heartless ghost who killed six innocent people. The Danny I knew back at Casper High … he was nothing but an illusion."

"Valerie," Danny pleaded, his eyes brimming with tears. "Please, don't—"

"Good bye, ghost boy_…._"

They say that when you balance on the line the separates Life and Death, you can see a bright light shining before your eyes. Danny, however, didn't see a light. Not even a flash. Darkness. A sea of black engulfing him—swallowing him whole as gravity dragged his lifeless body down, faster and faster until he thought he was going to hurl.

And then … light! Heaven or Hell? Eyes open. A familiar setting. Familiar feeling.

His bed. His _room_.

Danny quickly scanned his surroundings, his eyes bouncing from wall to wall. Posters, modeled rockets, photos of time's passed. They were all familiar. All memories of a not-so-distant past.

He was home. He was alive.

The younger halfa sighed, resting a palm over his chest to calm his rushing heartbeat. He loosened his grip on the blanket beneath him, running his fingers through sweat-drenched hair with his free hand.

A dream. No, a nightmare. How could she? How could Valerie just take aim and fire without any regrets? Any emotion? Sure, she may have been a ghost hunter, but she would never actually _kill _someone she knew just because he was half ghost. Would she?

Danny groaned, shaking his head and chasing away the bad thoughts with points of realism. It would never come down to that…. Would it? Yes, he was a ghost and she was a ghost _hunter_, but they were still so much more than that. They were classmates. They were friends…. Or at least, that's what she implied.

(-)

"_Danny, wait up!" Valerie called, her heels slamming against the concrete pavements, echoing through the frosty twilight. _

_Danny sighed quietly and stopped, his fingers curled, his eyes shut. Already, his temples were starting to throb, his frustrations kicking into high gear as Valerie finally caught up with him. Why her? Why her, dammit!_

_The Red Huntress panted, her palms resting on her knees as she drew in quick, ragged breaths. "Why—why'd you run off like that?" she huffed. "After the ceremony, I was going to invite you to come have dinner with my dad, the mayor, and I. You know, to commemorate my title of the town's newest ghost hunter. I tried calling you over, but you just kept walking. What gives?"_

_Danny shoved his hands in his pockets, the cool breeze of the autumn winds making him shiver. He glanced over his shoulder, not wanting to look at Valerie face-to-face. Maybe if he made up some kind of excuse, she'd give up and leave him alone. After all, he really didn't feel like interacting with others right now, less he lose his composure and snap at someone who didn't deserve the foul words. He was like a ticking time bomb and even though Danny wanted to lash out at Valerie for what she did, she didn't deserve to be yelled at. Especially when all she was trying to do was make him feel better after everything that happened. _

_Danny kicked a small twig, giving himself something to do as he racked his brain for some sort of excuse; a desperate way out. "I—have to finish packing. I leave for Wisconsin the day after tomorrow, remember?"_

"_I know," Valerie said, straightening her posture. "And I figured you'd want to spend at least one more night having fun before you—before you have to say goodbye."_

_Tension. Guilt. Culpability. All of these emotions Valerie managed to work against him, using them as rusty daggers etching at his heart. Why? Why couldn't she just leave him alone? _

"_Look, Valerie," Danny started. "I know you're trying to make me feel better after the whole accident. But there's nothing more you can do. Like they say, you can't change what's already been done. And it's too late to do anything for my family or Sam and Tucker. I just … I want to put this all behind me. I want to move on. Forget everything … and hope the pain will go away along with it."_

"_Danny," Valerie spoke, her tone sounding concerned. She reached towards him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he immediately shrugged her off. Valerie lowered her head, dejected. "This is about more than just the accident, isn't it?"_

_Danny looked up, staring into the eyes of his former enemy—the girl who did everything in her power to put an end to his life. And immediately, he wished he hadn't. _

_Tears—hot and stinging—started trickling down his face. Tears of sadness. Tears of pain. Tears he would always go out of his way to hide from the world. Especially in front of the enemy. _

"_My parents did everything they could," Danny sobbed. "And even though they weren't exactly experts at what they did, they were still passionate about ghost hunting and strived to be the best they could be. They _were _Amity Park's greatest ghost hunters. And now that they're gone—watching the title they worked so hard to achieve be passed on to someone else … it's like a punch in the stomach, Valerie. A stab in the back."_

_Valerie brought both hands up to her mouth, a faint gasp passing through her lips, her eyes wide. "Danny, I—I had no idea you felt that way."_

"_Well, now you do," he spat, looking straight into Valerie's eyes, his vision a fading blur. He didn't care if his tone was harsh, if he nicked her straight through the heart. Let her feel the pain—the same pain he felt ever since she agreed to steal his parents' rightful title. _

_Valerie shook her head slowly, her gaze traveling down to her shoes. "I never meant to hurt you, Danny. If anything, I wanted you to be proud of me following in your parents' footsteps…. But I guess I was wrong."_

_Danny curled his fingers, wiping away the tears with his fists. "How could you do this to me? To them! The people who gave up their lives to protect this town!"_

"_Danny—" Valerie sobbed, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks._

"_You betrayed them! You betrayed _me_! All because you want back the praise and honor of having people look and talk about you twenty-four-seven that you lost in high school!"_

"Shut up_!" Valerie screamed, her hands tightened into hard fists. Danny bit his lip, his shoulders heightened, his fists trembling. It was at that moment that he realized he'd gone too far._

"_You wanna know why I did this? You wanna know why I never hesitated when Mayor Montez declared there should be a new ghost hunter for Amity Park?" she yelled, pausing, as if waiting for Danny's approval to have her continue. "I did this because I _honored_ your parents, Danny. I did this because I looked up to them more than I look up to my _own father_. Despite how they did their job, they were still _the_ ghost hunters of Amity Park. And I will always mourn their passing."_

_Danny felt his fists unclench. He couldn't believe it. Valerie actually looked up to his parents? _

_The Red Huntress looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks hot to the touch. "I may not be like your parents, Danny. But I do share their passion. Ever since that ghost boy ruined my life, I've always strived to become stronger, faster, twice the Valerie Gray I was hanging out with Paulina and Star and all the other shallow, popular ends of the social gene pool. I took this job to avenge those who lost their lives. _Not_ for the fame and glory."_

_Danny was at a loss for words. He bowed his head, avoiding Valerie's gaze out of pure shame. "Valerie, I—"_

_She reached out her hand, her fingers brushing against his moist cheek, her skin warm to the touch. "Ever since the flour sack assignment, I always considered you a friend, Danny. Sure, we had our occasional spats and everything, but even though I insulted and ridiculed you, you didn't bail on me like Dash or Paulina. You, Sam, or Tucker. Before you guys, I didn't know what true friends were. And for that, I owe you—all of you."_

_Danny looked up at Valerie, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. Her hand slipped away from his cheek, traveling down to cup his hand, her fingers intertwining with his own. "I'm going to make things right, Danny. As Amity's new ghost hunter, I'm going to do everything I can to avenge your family, Sam, and Tucker. I'll search high and low, day and night, and when I come across the ghost who did this to you, I'm going put an end to him. Once. And. For. All."_

(-)

Danny opened his eyes, the ceiling fan circling above him at what seemed like a snail's pace, lulling him into a trance. He felt his eyes flutter shut, his senses gradually shutting down. But before he could drift off into the peace of his subconscious—where the world didn't feel like it was trying to suck the life out of him like some blood crazed, non-sparkly vampire—Danny heard a knock at his door and immediately, his heart sank.

"_Daniel, it's me. May I come in?"_

Vlad.

There it was, that sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, a sensation that could only lead to him having to shove his face in the toilet. How could Vlad even stand to look at him after what he said earlier—after snapping at him like that? He knew that if the situation were reversed, Danny would avoid Vlad like the plague for at least three days tops. But no, here he was, knocking on his door, as if nothing happened.

"_Danny? Is everything all right?"_

Danny quickly lifted himself from his bed, pulling out his earphones and shutting off his older MP3 player before shoving it under his pillow. "Come on in, Vlad."

The elder halfa obliged and opened the door, stepping inside with his eyebrows furrowed, as if having second thoughts of entering the boy's domain. Danny shot Vlad a weak smile and quickly dropped his gaze to the floor. "Uhh, hi," she said, his voice squeaking from the awkwardness yet to come.

"Hello," Vlad answered, clearing his throat. "I just came up to see what you wanted for dinner," he said slowly, his eyes skimming the floor, as if he were looking for something.

Danny fidgeted uncomfortably on his bed, peeking up at the billionaire a couple of times before forcing his gaze back down at the ground. He hated this—the awkwardness, the tension. He felt certain if anyone were to walk in his room right now, they would automatically _feel _the discomfort.

"Listen, Vlad," Danny started. "About what I said earlier—"

"Daniel, stop," Vlad ordered, his tone serious. Danny looked up at him, his eyes holding curiosity. "You don't have to say anything. I know things have been rough over the past couple of months, what with me pushing you to use your ghost abilities. You were right to snap at me."

"Vlad—"

A raise of the hand, that's all it took. After going up against Vlad Plasmius back in the glory days, Danny had grown accustomed to having ectoplasmic rays shot from that hand in lines of attack. But not this time. This time, he was just staring at Vlad's empty palm; a clean way of getting him to shut up.

Vlad smiled, lowering his hand to rest comfortably at his side. It was that line of action that Danny knew things were going to be okay and that Vlad had forgiven him. No words needed to be exchanged and no apologies needed to be passed or accepted. Vlad forgave him and Danny felt the queasiness in his stomach disappear.

At least, it did for a while.

Danny lowered his head, avoiding Vlad's gaze before he spoke, his tone quiet. "Vlad, can I ask you something?"

Vlad raised a curious eyebrow, his forehead scrunched with worry. "Of course, Daniel. What is it?"

The younger halfa sighed, sitting back down on his bed, combing his fingers through his mop of hair. He closed his eyes; face opposite the floor as he chose his words carefully, running them through his head. It was tough. After all, he wasn't one for telling people his problems, not even his own parents. So telling Vlad—his former, greatest enemy—it took all the courage he could muster just to utter one word.

"It's Valerie, isn't it?" Vlad answered, stopping Danny before he even had time to open his mouth.

"How'd you know?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in question.

Vlad tore his gaze away from Danny, his arms linked casually—almost too casually—behind his back as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "Well, before I came up here to ask what you wanted for dinner, I heard screaming. I ran to make sure you were all right, but when I heard you utter Valerie's name … well, truth be told, Daniel, I thought you were just letting off some steam after our little argument earlier, but—"

Oh. My. _God_.

At that moment, Danny felt as though his jaw was no longer connected to his skull. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates—no, _trash bins_—and the intense heat burning in his cheeks was probably permanent now after what Vlad was telling him. "You … oh, gross! You thought I was—!"

"Now, now, Daniel, it was just a misunderstanding. No need to get all worked up." Vlad smiled weakly, bringing his arms up in defense, in case Danny decided to punch him just to let out all of his frustrations. Which, at the moment, didn't seem like a bad idea. In fact, it was a stroke of pure genius.

Danny sighed, burying his face in his hands to both hide his mortification and to have something to do with his hands. Well, at least Vlad was doing his job as a parent by embarrassing the hell out of him. Even his _own_ parents didn't enter the depths of whether their son has ever pleasured himself over a girl.

After a moment of silence, Vlad let out a low series of coughs, purposely breaking the awkward atmosphere before it reared its ugly head a second time. Danny could feel the elder halfa's hand blanket over his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Would you still like to talk about it?"

_Not anymore,_ Danny screamed in his thoughts, his cheeks turning a rosy red. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure anymore. Even after what Vlad said—which he knew would end up scarring him for life—Danny still needed someone to talk to about his recurring nightmares. And although he preferred to keep things bottled up inside, especially after losing the two people he could easily talk to about his problems, Danny still needed to let out all the emotions that were creating a whirlpool of discomfort inside him. He needed to vent. Bad. And here was Vlad, offering to hear anything and everything Danny could throw at him.

The younger halfa let his hands rest on his knees, his eyes facing the floor, his bangs curtaining his icy blue eyes. "Do you think … do you Valerie could ever be capable of murder?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow suspiciously and Danny could already feel the quivering in his shoes. He tried to look away, but he knew avoiding Vlad's gaze wouldn't help him escape the thousands of questions that were probably going to be thrown his way.

"What are you getting at, Daniel?"

Danny looked up at Vlad, licking his lips before he spoke. "Ever since the break-in at Axiom Labs, Valerie blames Danny Phantom for putting her and her father in debt. That's why she vows to destroy any ghost she sees, especially him. Because of this, I tried avoiding her like the plague. But that one night, when Skulker tried to hunt us both, I realized Valerie wasn't as rotten as I thought she was. She was just a girl struggling through life." He tilted his head, looking up at Vlad with blameworthy eyes. "Ever since that day, we started growing close. I knew who she was underneath the mask, but she never knew the true identity of the ghost boy.

"I blame myself every day for not telling her the truth. Maybe that's why I keep having these nightmares. But how do I do it, Vlad? How do I tell someone that if you put an end to him, you put an end to me as well?"

There was a slight pause—a moment of pure silence before Danny looked up at Vlad. The billionaire flashed Danny a weak smile; one that said he felt sorry for what he was going through and that he wished he knew the right words to say that would make him feel better. But none came. The most the elder halfa could do was nod.

"I see," he spoke. "Answer me this, Daniel. How strong do you think yours and Valerie's friendship is?"

Danny paused at Vlad's words, taking a moment to think about what the elder halfa was asking him. How strong did he think their friendship was? Well, to be honest, it wasn't really all that strong. At least, not as strong as the friendship he held with Sam and Tucker. Sure, he and Valerie knew enough about each other to strike up meaningful conversations on, say a bus ride home, but not enough to plan outings together like hanging out at the movies or going over to each other's houses. Overall, he'd say they were friends with low standards.

"Uhm, okay, I guess." He shrugged.

"Daniel, no matter what nightmares continue to haunt you, the connection Valerie and you have is strong enough to withstand many. Sure, you two may have a bit of a rocky relationship going on"—_Relationship? Yeah, way to rub salt in fresh scars, Vlad_—"but the point of the matter is that there's something there. Valerie may despise Danny Phantom with a passion, but deep down inside, she holds a soft spot for Danny Fenton as well. I should know. She is one of my best clients."

Danny couldn't help roll his eyes at the Vlad's statement, having remembered that the whole reason Valerie carried around so many cool—and quite expensive—new toys was because of the billionaire. He could only imagine what flashy new bling the elder halfa had been shipping to her ever since she became Amity's new ghost hunter.

Then again, some things were better left unknown.

"Speaking of clients, I have wonderful news." Vlad beamed, clasping his hands together in light excitement.

Danny couldn't help but cringe. "Please tell me it's not another business trip to Florida. I think I've seen enough topless, hairy old guys in my life."

"Oh, come now, Daniel. You said you were dying to go to Florida after I announced I was scheduled to go there on business two months ago."

Yeah. Too bad Danny didn't know Vlad was scheduled to go during the monsoon period at the last minute. Damn. And he was really looking forward to catching the Jersey Shore girls in their teeny-tiny summer bikinis on the nice, warm Miami Beach. But _no_.

Danny shook away his little fantasies, lying back against his bed with his hands clasped behind his head. "So, where are we heading to this time? Russia? China? Some other technologically advanced country that I have no knowledge of?"

"Actually, Daniel, this is more of a business trip involving money retrieval," said Vlad.

Danny lifted his head, raising a curious eyebrow. "Money retrieval?"

"Yes, Daniel. You may not know this, but a while back, a great amount of money was stolen from me, right under my nose. Throughout the year, Miss Helen Blythe—the woman you spoke to on the phone earlier—had been standing up in court to retrieve the money I so rightfully earned. We're simply heading down to Jump City to sign the paper work and gain full retrieval of said money."

"Jump City?" Danny repeated, sitting up from his mattress. "I didn't know you did business in Jump City. Which company do you work for? Wayne Enterprises?"

"Actually, Danny, I work for a company that's more … cloak-and-dagger," Vlad explained, avoiding the younger halfa's gaze.

Danny raised an eyebrow, looking at Vlad with high suspicions. "What do you mean by 'cloak-and-dagger'?"

"You see, Danny, although ghosts may have been my prime focus when I was attending college, I also studied in other curricula's, such as mechanics, computers, and robotics. Because of my knowledge in these fields of study, I was hired to make training mechanisms for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination. Otherwise known as the H.I.V.E Academy."

Danny felt his heart skip a beat at the name, feeling a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. The H.I.V.E Academy. Why did that place sound so familiar? Had Jazz written a paper about that school for her Expository Reading and Writing class? Had Paulina been gushing about their "cute" uniforms one time during homeroom? No. It was, it was….

Danny gasped, realization dawning on him. "An all villain's school."

Vlad nodded. "Miss Helen Blythe is actually the headmistress to the H.I.V.E Academy … as well as my former boss."

"Boss?" Danny repeated, his thoughts swirling. "Wait a minute, you were—"

"A former H.I.V.E Academy teacher, schooling young villains in the art of criminal studies."

"Okay, back up," Danny ordered, crossing his arms and standing in a dominant stance that made him feel like the guardian. "This calls for some major explaining."

Vlad lowered his head, avoiding Danny's gaze, as if he were a child who just got caught breaking his mom's favorite vase. After a moment of silence, he finally continued.

"Although H.I.V.E Academy's business was strictly to school young teenagers into become super villains, it paid miraculously. After a couple of years of school, Miss Blythe ended up introducing me to a man who would one day become one of my best clients. Slade—a man known throughout various states and countries. An incredible negotiator, and a gentleman of great mystery. In time, we became business partners, trading off various forms of equipment for our own personal gain, mine being the equipment used to make a ghost portal, as well as prototype ghost hunting weapons you may have witnessed personally from Valerie."

Danny couldn't help but cringe, falling back into painful memories.

"We made a lot of money, half of which was donated to the H.I.V.E Academy. That is, until Slade's sudden passing two years ago."

"What happened to him?" Danny asked slowly, as if unsure whether he should dive into that subject or not.

"No one knows," Vlad answered with a shrug. "But he was greatly missed by villains everywhere … including Vlad Plasmius."

Danny felt his fingers clench into hard fists at the sudden mention of Plasmius's name. After all, he was Danny Phantom's worst enemy, as well as half of his _greatest _enemy.

"After that, Miss Blythe and I were to discuss whether to shut down the H.I.V.E Academy or continue running it in Slade's honor. However, we were both surprised when we discovered that the school had continued to run—and not by either one of us.

"In the time after Slade's passing, someone managed to snag the rights to the H.I.V.E Academy right from under our noses. A man known as Brother Blood. And although I would've stormed straight to Steele City and reclaimed the school myself as Vlad Plasmius, Miss Blythe offered to stand in court after Brother Blood was conquered by Jump City's well known Teen Titans.

"All in all, the reason for this sudden business trip is to retrieve the profit money, as well as ownership of the manufactured machines written under Slade's and my names."

Danny looked back down at his shoes, trying to process everything Vlad was explaining to him. To think, after all these years, Vlad had been a teacher for an all villains' school. If they were still mortal enemies, it'd be a fact Danny wouldn't have difficulty believing. But Vlad was his guardian now. It was all just … too unbelievable.

It just goes to show, no matter how long you live with a person, they still hold secrets even you never knew about.

* * *

**Woot! Long chapter! ^^ I hope this makes up for not reposting in a while and I hope you guys liked chapter four of "Sealed Fate", even though it was a butt to write. -_-' Hopefully (boy, I'm very hopeful in this chapter XD) most of your questions about the link between Slade and Vlad are answered. If not, then they'll most likely be answered in the next couple of chapters. Hopefully…XD**

**Alright, now time to praise the reviewers! Thank you so much to:**

**Appropriate Exclamation, Jonah, Shiva the Sarcastic, Umbra8191, and Karyn Phantom**

**And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the fabulous people who added "Sealed Fate" to their favorites and alerts. Give it up for:**

**Master Reaper, Navarion, SpirallingWind, What-if-it-was, Angel Magic08, Appropriate Exclamation, asherwolf, bookwyrm31, dariella, Echo Nightingale-Phantom, knAngel18, Linzerj, Ryshel, Sealed in the Sea, and serin2.**

**See you guys next time! And if you'd like to be showered with praise and admiration in my next chapter, please review, or add this story to your alerts and favorites. You guys are what make this story awesome! ^^**

**Until then, DFTBA! (Don't Forget to Be Awesome) **


	6. Just Watch and Observe

**Hello, readers. **

**Okay, first, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to reply. What with work, signing up and paying for classes, spending time with the family, and trying to earn enough money to buy everyone Christmas presents, I've had absolutely no time to just sit and write. Plus, this chapter was a real difficult piece to start. Originally, I wanted to make this whole chapter about Valerie and her struggles dealing with school and fighting ghost while everyone she comes across sees her as nothing but Danny Phantom's shadow. ****But, as you can see, it didn't really turn out that way. **

**However, I feel the beginning of this chapter flows a lot better than what I had originally planned. Hopefully, writing Valerie in future chapters won't be as difficult as it was for this chapter. **

**Anywho, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta readers for being _extremely _patient with me and still awaiting for my replies in the two months it took me to finish this chapter. You guys are awesome. ^^ **

**I'd also like to thank the power of music for inspiring me to get this chapter faster done quicker, particularly songs such as "Attack" by 30 Seconds to Mars, "A Little Faster" by There for Tomorrow, and "Waiting for the End" by Linkin Park. **

**And, finally, I'd like to thank Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for making a totally kickass series called "Young Justice" that also got me pumped to write faster and, finally, complete this chapter that I've been having trouble with for quite some time. (God, I can't wait for that series to come out! If any of you are DC junkies or really liked Teen Titans back when it use to show on Cartoon Network, then go check out "Young Justice". And if you have, then go watch it again! It's totally awesome! XD)**

**Okay, enough of my blathering. Here it is, the fifth chapter to "Sealed Fate". Hope you guys like it. ^^**

**

* * *

**

** ~ Chapter 5 ~**

**"Just Watch and Observe"**

(-)

_Silence enveloped the room. Vlad cringed where he stood, his jaw clenching from Danny's stiff posture and lack of words, no doubt hoping the younger halfa would say something—_anything_ to break the silence. Nevertheless, all he the billionaire did was stand, his arms tucked behind his back._

Clockwork narrowed his eyes intently, the dim light from the orb floating in front of him radiating in a series of flickers as he watched the scene unravel before him. He studied every movement—every action—as if the Observants would appear and start interrogating him at any moment.

With a sneer, the Master of Time banished the thought from his mind, shaking his head slightly before returning his gaze to the sphere.

_Danny's eyes fixated on the ground, his long, dark bangs shielding any hint of emotion. But even though he hid behind that shield, there were still signs that gave away his discomfort. His tense shoulders, his rigid posture, the way his fingers slowly glided over his tattered jeans, curling into tight fists. He was hurting_—Clockwork could tell—_and just like the tough guy he always tried to be, Danny tried not to show what he really felt. Betrayal. Disappointment. Anger. An assortment of different emotions all trapped inside one bubble, never to be released._

"_The H.I.V.E Academy, huh?" Danny said, his knuckles popping and turning ghostly pale. "I—I never knew…. What else haven't you told me?" _

"Time out," commanded the time-wielder, his palm hovering over the spherical screen. He sighed, , having seen enough of the event he'd watched far too many times. It was a waste of time—a waste of _his _time—and although it was disobeying direct orders from Slade himself, Clockwork didn't give a rat's ass. He already knew the direction in which Danny and Vlad's conversation would be heading. What was the point of watching a panorama of history repeating itself if he couldn't do anything about it? All Slade wanted him to do was watch and observe, just like the Observants had made him do for the past year.

Just watch and observe.

_ "Interfering with the events in his time line is a strict violation of the Protocol of Temporal Displacement. Once the boy's fate has been sealed, altering it in any other way could lead to dire consequences. And not just for him, but for you as well, Clockwork."_

"Dammit." The time-wielder's gloved fingers curled around his scepter in an iron grip. He bowed his head in dejection, shadowing his blood red eyes with the hood of his lavender cloak, feeling as though he were hiding himself from the world. With a sigh, Clockwork pinched the brim of his nose, trying to flush out any hint of aggravation coursing through his body. But it was too late. He could already sense his presence.

Slade walked up to Clockwork, emerging from the shadows of the dimly lit room with his arms tucked nonchalantly behind his back. Already, the time-wielder could feel his ectoplasm coming to a boil. He didn't like Slade—obviously—and being forced to work beneath him was a struggle; perhaps even greater than putting up with the Observants. But Slade was different. His threats were more imminent than the ones the his bosses would throw at him. Those, Clockwork could easily shake off, but with Slade, the Master of Time always felt as though he were just one small step away from burning in Hell.

"Anything to report?" Slade asked, locking his one good eye on Clockwork's backside.

Clockwork glanced over his shoulder, flashing the villain a sneer before turning his attention back to his monitoring orb. With a wave of his scepter, the scene flickered, transforming into an unclear picture before showing nothing but static. Eventually, the entire screen went blank, making Slade raise a curious eyebrow at the Master of Time.

"The message has been received," Clockwork informed him. "Danny Fenton and Vlad Masters will be leaving Madison, Wisconsin in as little as sixty-two hours. That should give you enough time to kick back, grab a coffee. Maybe update your Facebook status."

"Hilarious," the masked man retorted, glancing back up at the spherical orb. "Looks like everything is all going according to plan."

"Wonderful," Clockwork droned, waving his scepter to discard of the spherical monitor, locking eyes with Slade almost provocatively. "So does this mean I can go? I'm pretty sure you can handle the rest on your own; like a big boy."

Slade couldn't help but smirk. "Come now, Clockwork. Don't you want to see my little plan work its way into action? After all, you're the one who's gotten me this far. Why not stick around?"

Clockwork narrowed his eyes, holding up an empty, gloved palm. "I'm the Ghost Zone's all-seeing ghost. I hold time in the palm of my hand; know every historical event that's happened since the birth of Earth itself. Do you really think I need to stay and watch a movie I already know the ending to?"

"Again with the hypocrisy," said Slade, striding closer towards the impatient time-wielder. "Tell me, Clockwork, is what you told Madame Rouge back at the Stonewall Penitentiary really what you believe, about the future not being written in stone?"

The time-wielder was silent, raising a curious eyebrow at the masked man as he followed his every movement.

"All this talk about destiny and faith—stuff one hears on the television, psychic hotlines, or preaching bystanders at the local park. Are they all true? Or do mere mortals have the power to rewrite their own destinies rather than the destinies foretold by the God they all worship and adore?"

"What are you trying to say?" Clockwork growled, tightening his grip on his time scepter, his eyes narrowed.

"I'm saying, Clockwork, that even you can't foretell what goes on in everyone's future. You may be the Ghost Zone's all-seeing specter, but having incredible foresight doesn't make you God."

"I never said I was. The future may not be set in stone as everyone thinks it is, but as I said before, changing one's future could lead to dire, perhaps even fatal consequences. You can sit and strategize, but there will there will always be something that doesn't go quite according to plan."

Slade paused, stopping so his back faced the Master of Time, his arms never unhooking from behind his back. He stood still—quiet—a low hum travelling up his throat before he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sure you would know all about that, Clockwork. After all, if things went all according to plan, then Danny's family and friends would still be alive, wouldn't they? But they're not. They're as dead as dreams, just like the future foretold."

That did it. That one sentence and Clockwork could feel the only string holding on to the last bit of sanity he had left completely snap. He ground his teeth, _hard_ and before his mind could register what was going on, he charged, slamming Slade into the nearest wall, hearing the echo of metal clash against metal.

"You son of a bitch!" the time-wielder growled, fisting the fabric beneath Slade's metal collar plate in a furious grip, his face inches away from the masked man. He was angry. He was _furious_. But worst of all, Slade didn't care. In fact, Clockwork could feel the masked man's chest slowly rise and fall as a serious of booming laughter escaped from his lips.

"My, my. Looks like someone has a bit of a _temper_." He snatched Clockwork's shoulders in a fierce, vice-like grip, his palms ignited with golden hot flames.

Pain coursed through the time-wielder's spiritual body, making him scream in pure agony as fractions of his cloak were consumed by the fire produced from Slade's hands. With a mischievous grin, the masked man tightened his grip, using his brute strength to toss the time-wielder across the room, making him skid across the ground before approaching him with flaming fists.

Clockwork cringed as he lay, wounded and weakened, his body trembling from the aftershock of Slade's actions. His breath hitched as he tried levitating off the ground, but even that required too much energy, leaving Clockwork to push his body up with his arms.

The time-wielder swore, the seething scorch marks decorating his shoulders burning fiercely. He glared at the wounds, only to have his eyes widen in sudden realization. He was in pain. He was _hurt_. But not only that, his shoulders were burnt and his cloak was reduced to a seared mess.

Slade had actually hurt him.

Like a rumble booming through his eardrums, Clockwork heard Slade's low, taunting laughter as he walked towards him. The masked villain looked down at the time-wielder, the growing flames radiating off his hands flickering through his one, good eye.

He smirked. "Why so surprised? As I recall, you're the Ghost Zone's all-seeing ghost. I figured you would've seen that coming a mile away. Perhaps I was wrong."

"You bastard." Clockwork cringed, attempting to pick himself up once more, this time using the little energy he had to levitate off the ground. Slade narrowed his gaze, ceasing his flames and grabbing hold of Clockwork's now charred cloak, pulling him close so that they were at eye level.

Clockwork screamed, the pain from his wounded shoulders sending shockwaves through his brain, making him glare daggers at the masked villain as he squirmed within his grasp. He lowered his gaze, catching a glimpse of the Ring of Azar that adorned Slade's finger and snarled.

"I bet you wouldn't be so cocky if you didn't have that little ring wrapped around your finger. All your strength, all your power, your arrogance—it's all because you obtain the Ring of Azar, not because you're Jump City's most feared criminal."

"I beg to differ," Slade countered, slamming the time-wielder against the wall before tossing him aside. "You think I obtained the Ring of Azar just by being cocky? Gaining the trust of the most feared demon in the world and then conning him in the end takes true strength—true power. I didn't gain it just by slipping this thing on my finger. Strength and power—they were traits I've had since the very beginning."

"You think you're so superior." Clockwork glared, finally having the strength to lift himself from the ground, his cloak in shambles. "But I know you; your history. Before Trigon awarded you with the Ring, you were nothing but a rich sociopath looking for pawns to do all of your dirty work. That is, until you reached the top, then you had plans to kick them to the curb. All you cared about was yourself, looking out for you and only you. But you never reigned supreme. You were always beaten—defeated. And by who? A group of _teenagers_. Teenagers who couldn't even figure out who the man behind the mask was. Isn't that right, Mister Wilson?"

"Shut you goddamn mouth." Slade growled, his fists heating up once more.

Clockwork couldn't help but grin. "What's the matter? Did I strike a nerve?" he asked, raising an empty hand. A blue, luminescent glow lit up the room. Slade narrowed his one good eye, shielding it with his arm, waiting for the light to fade. In an instant, the orb Clockwork had gotten rid of earlier was once again held within his grasp, making the masked man raise a curious eyebrow.

"I may not possess the foresight of a god, but I can easily predict what the future has in store for you without even so much as batting an eye. You may think you have everything figured out, but the truth is, you're nothing but a broken record."

Slade narrowed his eye at the time-wielder, watching as he tossed the orb gently in the air, letting it hover before it flashed a series of events. Events all involving him and his many defeats against the Teen Titans. From the loss of his first apprentice—the gung-ho leader of the team, Robin the Boy Wonder—to the sudden attack the Titans unleashed on him when the world was reduced to Trigon's darkest fantasy. Each scene—each moment in history; all strewn together into one short series.

Slade felt his jaw tighten.

And then, he spoke, slinging his arms casually behind his back once more. In an instant, Clockwork could feel his arrogance depleting.

"A wise man once said, 'Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it'. Perhaps you're right. Maybe this plan I've thought up really will end like all the others." He looked up at the time-wielder, a devious glint flashing in his eye. "But you've forgotten. I have you, the Master of Time. With your powers, Clockwork, I can easily monitor each event that happens throughout my plan, eliminating whatever I find most unfitting. I'll have Danny Phantom lying in defeat, as well as the Teen Titans. I'll be unstoppable."

Clockwork growled, clenching his time scepter. "And what if I refuse? Ever since the accident, the Observants have been on my ass about changing events in history. If I can't stop you, _they _can."

Slade looked up at the time-wielder, staring at him almost tauntingly. Although Clockwork couldn't see it, he could tell the orange and black clad villain was grinning behind his mask.

"Have you forgotten what brought you to me in the first place?" he asked, raising his ring finger, making it look as though he were flipping Clockwork off. "The Observants may hold more authority than you, Clockwork. But me?" he chuckled. "They can't touch me. And neither can you."

Clockwork snarled, his hands clenched into tight fists, his temples throbbing. He could feel the tip of his scepter glow brightly, his ectoplasm coming to a boil as he made a move to strike at the masked man. Oh, how he'll make him suffer. Make him _bleed_. Make him wish he had never crossed paths with the Ghost Zone's Master of Time.

Clockwork paused, the light slowly diming from his scepter, his head hanging in defeat. What did it matter? There was nothing he could do. Even if he wanted to put Slade in his place—to wipe that invisible smug off his face—all Slade had to do was use the Ring of Azar's power and then they'd be right back where they started. History repeating itself, once again.

The time-wielder sighed, his gaze on the ground. He hated to admit it, but he felt like a dog, a dog Slade had on an indestructible leash. No matter what, he was a servant to the masked villain, a pawn Slade would simply dispose of once he obtained what he desired. And all Clockwork could do was stand and watch as a world filled with innocent people was taken over by a man who sought nothing but power.

_Just watch, and observe…._

Suddenly, the door to the darkened room they were in began to open, snapping Clockwork out of his thoughts and catching both his and Slade's attention.

Madame Rouge stepped into the room, her eyes glancing lazily at the time-wielder and then to the masked man, her face showing nothing but utter annoyance. "Whatever it is you two are arguing about, save it," she barked.

Clockwork couldn't help but grin at the shape shifter's analytical eye. No wonder she was favored greatly by the Brain.

"Anything to report?" Slade asked, his attention set on Madame Rouge.

She locked eyes with the masked man, leaning all her weight to one side, giving off an aura of haughtiness. "I have done what you have asked. We have our pawns. Now all we have to do is send them into battle."

"Excellent." He shot a look at the time-wielder. "At least someone's doing their job without complaints."

Clockwork scoffed.

"So, what? We just sit here and wait until Danny and his little foster father arrive?" asked the shape shifter, her tone betraying her impatience.

"Good things come to those who wait," said Slade. "In the meantime, let our pawns know what's going on. We need to have them ready both physically and mentally when our little guests arrive." He glanced over at Clockwork, a glint flashing in his visible eye. "Wouldn't want to have any mishaps."

The shape shifter rolled her eyes. Her response was cut off by a low ringing noise. Slade's eye travelled to his utility belt, realizing the sound was coming from his communicator. Unhooking it from his belt, he stared at the brightly lit screen, noticing it was a direct call coming from Vlad Masters.

His eye narrowed. _Why would he be calling all of a sudden?_

Quickly, Slade tossed the communicator towards Madame Rouge. She stared at it, saw who was calling and disguised her voice into sounding like Helen Blythe.

She pressed the 'accept' button and brought the communicator towards her lips.

"Yes? … Good evening, Mister Masters…. No, this isn't a bad time. What seems to be the trouble? … Yes…. A favor? What do you mean? … Mmhmm…. Yes…. Bring an extra guest?" she looked up at Slade, her eyebrow raised in question. Clockwork gawked in surprise, looking up at the masked man to see any reaction in his visible eye. Surprisingly, the man was unresponsive.

Madame Rouge turned her back on the two, continuing her talk with Vlad Masters. "Well, that is a rather interesting favor, Mister Master. Who, may I ask, did you have in mind?"

(-)

_Okay, Val, stay calm. You've defeated countless ghosts, survived freshman year of high school, and scarfed down a plate of Tuna Casserole Surprise without puking all over the cafeteria. You can do this._

Valerie Gray sucked in a deep breath, shutting her eyes tight before counting to three, collecting her thoughts in order to calm her nerves. Her heart was racing and beads of sweat were starting to decorate her face and neck. Never in her life had she been this nervous. Not even when she had to go head-to-head with Brick, the most feared three hundred pound fourteen-year-old in her martial arts class. Oh, no. She was _way _more nervous than that. At least the fight with Brick only lasted three minutes. With this, Valerie had only _seconds_ in order to reach the safety zone, where she would be home free until sunrise. Then, she would have to hurry up, gather her things and sneak out without so much as making a sound, dodging the deadliest bullet ever to come sailing her way.

She could do this. She could do this.

With another deep breath, Valerie glanced down at her watch, making sure she was on schedule. She could feel her stomach starting to gurgle uncomfortably; she wasn't sure whether it was butterflies or the fact that she forgot to grab some extra cash to buy herself a quick bite after school.

Nevertheless, she had to ignore it. Right now, her main focus was making it to the safety zone, nothing else. Simple, right? She'd done it before. But the more she made it to the safety zone, the more dangerous it became. Soon, Valerie would have to scavenge for a new safety zone. At least until this died down. It was only a matter of time before news turned old. As to how long that would take, the Red Huntress had no clue.

Hopefully, not much longer.

"Alright, here we go," Valerie whispered, pulling her eyes from her watch, slinging her backpack across her shoulder. With great balance, she steadied herself on the fire escape, making sure not to make too much noise just in case _he _was loitering nearby.

Step by careful step, she inched closer to the wall, pressing her body firmly against cold brick, becoming as close to invisible as possible. She shut her eyes, calming every nervous twitch she felt in her body before reaching a hand towards the windowsill, the iciness of the hard metal numbing her fingers.

With a quick double check, the Red Huntress made sure she wasn't being watched before fumbling with the lock, popping it open with ease, making sure to be as quiet as possible. Inch by inch, she slid closer towards the window, cringing at every little creak the fire escape made, cursing it for being so ancient. Eventually, she made it, using both arms to pry it open the window, all the while staying quiet.

With motions as fluid as a cobra, Valerie squeezed her way through the opening, landing daintily on her feet before wiggling her whole body through, making sure she didn't tear open her backpack in the process. Finally, she was in, feeling safe and secure in the confinements of the safety room, having nothing to worry about for the next several hours.

That is, until someone flicked the light switch on, making the fifteen-year-old freeze right on the spot, her heat racing a million miles a minute.

"Welcome home, Valerie," her dad said, sitting patiently on his daughter's computer chair, his hands folded atop his lap.

Valerie couldn't help but slap herself on the forehead. _Dammit! So close._

"Okay, okay, you caught me. No use going down fighting." The fifteen-year-old droned, raising her hands up in a surrendering motion, turning to face her father.

"This is no time for jokes, Valerie," her dad huffed, his arms folded in a parental manner. "Do you have any idea what time it is? I've been trying to get a hold of you for God knows how long and you don't even have the decency to call me back and let me know where you are or if you're even okay? You could've been kidnapped, for God's sake."

"Jeez, Dad, relax," said the Red Huntress, setting her backpack on her bed before kicking off her shoes, making herself comfortable on the edge of her mattress. "My phone died on me right after school ended. I was gonna call you using one of the school's pay phones, but then there was this massive explosion coming from downtown. Sure enough, it was—"

"—Another ghost attack," her father droned, mimicking his daughter's words with a devil-may-care attitude. "Is that the only excuse you can come up with? Every day, you blame all of your problems on ghosts, Valerie. When I told you to come home right after school to help cook dinner, I ended up cooking _and _eating alone because there was 'another ghost attack'. When I told you to pick up some groceries the other day, you didn't because there was 'another ghost attack'. I'm sick of it."

Valerie narrowed her eyes resentfully. "Well _sorry_ I can't control when ghosts decided to attack the town. The mayor didn't say anything about _that_ being my responsibility as well."

"Speaking of responsibilities,"—he folded his arms—"what have I told you about making sure you don't slip up on your grades, hmm? We made a deal, Valerie, that if you were going to protect Amity Park from ghosts, then you would study hard and keep your grades up until you graduated from high school."

"And I _have _been keeping my grades up." Valerie defended, raising her arms for emphasis before flashing her dad a rather boastful grin. "Speaking of which, guess who got an A plus on her persuasive essay?"

Mr. Gray ignored his daughter's question, picking himself up from his seat with a stack of papers clenched in his hands. "Well, it certainly can't be the same person who owns this big stack of F's, can it?"

Valerie raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to ask exactly what her dad was talking about until he threw the evidence right in front of her, letting the papers he held in his hand fall from his grasp.

Valerie watched as most of them scattered over her bed, some hitting the floor while others balanced dangerously on the edge of the mattress. At first, she thought they were recent tests and essays questions from all of her classes, but they couldn't be, could they? Last time she checked, her grades were excellent. She kicked ass in P.E. with Ms. Tetslaff, so much the coach would even comment on her hook shot in basketball and her grand slams in baseball. Mr. Falupa was too much of a pushover to give her anything lower than a B in Geometry. Even the new English teacher, Mr. Thompson, would always use Valerie's essays as "examples of fine writing" to the class. There was no way she was flunking anything.

The Red Huntress looked down at the array of papers covering her bed, her eyes widening at the sudden realization as to what they were papers of.

_He couldn't be serious. _

"Dad, come on," Valerie whined, thumbing through a small handful of papers, looking up at her dad with pleading eyes. "These are just _practice quizzes_. I'm still doing well in all of my classes. I've got nothing but A's and B's, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Sweetheart, you don't understand. Whether you're acing the tests and turning in your homework assignments in all of your classes or not, these practice quizzes clearly say that you're not focusing all of your attention on school like you should."

The Red Huntress folded her arms, rolling her eyes at her dad's pathetic choice of argument. "Well, _yeah_. It's kind of hard to focus _all_ my attention on schoolwork when there's a ghost attack happening downtown or at the local bank. I can't just ignore a cry for help just because I'm in the middle of a stupid Chemistry test."

Mr. Gray sighed, pinching the brim of his nose with his index finger and thumb, trying to settle his nerves. "Honey, you're missing the point. I know you have a lot more responsibilities to uphold, what with you being the town's newest ghost hunter in replacement of the Fenton's—"

"I'm not their replacement," Valerie grumbled. "I'm just … following in their footsteps."

"Well, whatever you call it, I don't like it," said Mr. Gray, making Valerie immediately lock eyes with him. "You're fifteen years old, Valerie. Your main focus should be on school and getting into a good college, not capturing ghosts and flying around shooting ectoplasmic cannons. You're a high school student _first_."

"Dad, please. You're acting as though I'm going to drop out and become a professional ghost hunter or something." She giggled. "I mean, fighting ghosts, yeah, in a way, it peps me up for the day and strides me away from boredom after studying and finishing up my homework. But, come on. It's more of a hobby, really."

"Well, that's not the way I see it, Val," Mr. Gray sighed, taking a seat on his daughter's bed, removing his glasses and smoothing out his buzz cut. "It's just, ever since you started making friends with that Fenton boy, it's like your primary focus went from school to ghosts. All of sudden, you started spending hours at the library, bringing home books about ghost hunting, the study of ghosts, advance ghost hunting technology—it started to concern me. And then, when you offered to become Amity's newest ghost hunter, that's when I really started to worry."

Valerie couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was sweet that her dad cared so much about her, but it was also nauseating. To think, he'd be happy she was focused more on protecting the town rather than spending all of her time at the mall with Paulina and Starr, spending her money on useless clothes and accessories. Guess there were still some tidbits about her dad she didn't know about, like the fact that he'd rather deal with a prissy little teenaged brat than a ghost huntress.

"Valerie, be honest with me," her dad spoke, snapping the Red Huntress out of her thoughts. "Do you _like _going out and fighting ghosts every day? I mean, doesn't it get tiring? Don't you wish you'd rather be out doing something else? Like hanging out with friends, going to the mall, or even just sitting back and relaxing at home; being a normal teenager?"

The fifteen-year-old raised a curious eyebrow, tossing the papers she held in her hands and standing up defiantly, making herself seem bigger and more authoritative than her father. It was a technique she used on ghosts sometimes. A technique that worked wonders, and right now, she needed to get her point across. _Fast_.

"Yes. I _do_." She folded her arms. "I mean, sure, my relaxing hours may have depleted, but that doesn't matter to me, Dad. I'm carrying on what the Fentons have done for this city ever since they moved here. I'm protecting this town from ghosts and keeping these people safe."

"Valerie." Her father stood, blocking her path. "I—I just don't want you to get so wrapped up into some useless activity when you could be doing something meaningful with your life."

"Useless?" the huntress repeated, her tone on edge. "Look, Dad, this may be a 'senseless activity' in your eyes, but not to me. I'm helping this town, doing something others either don't care about or are too chicken to do themselves. Not only that, but I'm helping a friend, a friend who lost everything he ever had to one ghost. I promised him I was going to put an end to that ghost, no matter what. And that's a promise I'm willing to keep, whether you like it or not."

Mr. Gray was speechless, staring down at his daughter with nothing to say; his lips pursed into a thin line. This was so unlike her. So unlike his little girl. At first, the man thought this wasn't even his daughter, until realization dawned on him, making him narrow his eyes at the Valerie he thought he knew, nodding in an understanding motion. "I see," he whispered. "So this whole thing is about Danny Fenton after all."

The Red Huntress was quiet, not saying one word to her father, nor ceasing the glares she had locked on him. She clenched her hands into tight fists, wishing she could punch something, _anything_. She was locked in a prison of pure restraint, unable to unleash her frustrations.

_Dammit. _She winced, shutting her eyes before opening them back up, refusing to let the tears leak out. "I'm going to the living room," she said, pushing herself past her father before walking out the door, slamming it quite loudly, not caring whether she disturbed the neighbors upstairs.

The Red Huntress sighed, leaning against the door before sliding down in a crouched sitting position, hugging her legs close to her body for comfort. How could her dad be so…. She couldn't even form words as to how stubborn he was being. Going ballistic just because she wasn't doing so hot on her practice quizzes and then accusing Danny of manipulating her into fighting ghosts? This whole argument probably wasn't even about her stupid grades. He was trying to form an excuse so he could point fingers at Danny, make him look like the bad guy all because she was into ghost hunting now.

_Ugh, sometimes I just wanna…._

Valerie sighed, running her fingers through her charcoal hair, looking down at her hands and realizing they were still clenched.

She smiled, leaning her head against the door, staring up at the ceiling almost blankly. It really pained her when her dad talked about Danny in a negative way. Okay, so maybe he was just playing his role as the father of a teenage daughter. What father didn't hate a boy who made their daughter cry for a couple of days? Certainly not hers. Maybe that was another reason why her dad didn't take a shine to the Fenton boy very easily. Not because his parents were ghost hunters and Valerie had suddenly taken an interest in ghost hunting, but because the day he left, it tore her to pieces.

The Red Huntress banged her head on the door lightly, shutting her eyes tight. She hated to admit it, but the more Danny was away, the more she thought about him, which made her blush. After all, Valerie was no girlie girl and the fact she was developing a crush on a guy she despised not even two years ago sickened her.

Then again, Danny wasn't exactly Mr. Wide of the Mark. He was cute, funny, and not as dense as Mr. Lancer made him seem. At first, Valerie thought the only reason she started to grow more attached to Danny was because she felt sorry for him. No one, especially Danny, deserved a more unreasonable fate and throughout his hardships, Valerie made sure nothing else would come to push Danny down. The day he came to school to gather up his things and inform all of his teachers and the school board that he was going to be living with Vlad Masters in Wisconsin, Valerie kept a close eye on him, making sure he didn't stride within range of either Dash or Paulina or even Kwan—though, she doubted the Asian football star would do much harm to someone who was going through a great deal of pain. No matter what, she was right there; ready to defend him when the time came.

"_I'm going to make things right, Danny. As Amity's new ghost hunter, I'm going to do everything I can to avenge your family, Sam, and Tucker. I'll search high and low, day and night, and when I come across the ghost who did this to you, I'm going put an end to him. Once. And. For. All."_

"I promise," Valerie whispered, letting herself drown in the sea of her own thoughts. That is, until her phone started to vibrate inside her pocket, interrupting her moment of peace.

The Red Huntress grumbled, reaching into her pocket to grab her phone, staring at the dimly lit screen to see who was calling her so late at night.

Her eyes widened at the name, her heart skipping a beat before she quickly flipped open her phone and pressed 'answer'.

"Hello?"  
_"Good evening, Valerie. This is Mister Masters. I trust I'm not calling at a bad time. I would've called earlier, but we sort of had a late dinner and just got back home."_

Valerie picked herself up from the floor, pacing towards the living room while she switched her phone to her other ear. "Oh, no, no, Mister Masters. Believe it or not I just got home as well."

"_Really? Why, it's almost nine o'clock. I hope your responsibilities as ghost huntress haven't been taking up all of your free time, Valerie. After all, it is important for you to get plenty of sleep so you don't fall behind in your schoolwork."_

Valerie couldn't help but narrow her eyes at Vlad's words. He sounded just like her dad. Why did everyone think she couldn't handle fighting ghosts and keeping up with her school work? It wasn't rocket science. But, Valerie kept calm. It wasn't Vlad's fault Valerie was being a little touchy over the subject. So she bit her tongue and took a seat on the sofa, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"For your information, Mister Masters, I'm doing excellent in all of my classes," she said, trying not to sound too snippy. She smirked. "And to top it off, most of my thermoses are filled to capacity. I haven't had any troubles with any ghost I come across, _and_ I still have enough free time to come home, kick back, and relax. Today was just one of those days. Some snot-nosed little punk of a ghost and his—_bat_." She pinched the brim of her nose, annoyed at how stupid she was sounding at the moment. "Long story short, he was stubborn as hell and wouldn't go down without a fight."

Valerie could hear the billionaire chuckle in the background, his tone sounding rather amused, like he was talking to a little kid. The Red Huntress decided to shrug it off, seeing as this was her boss she was talking to.

"_Well I must say I'm rather impressed, my dear. Not only do you manage upholding your responsibilities as a fine ghost huntress, but you also keep up with your grades. Remarkable. Danny could learn a thing or two from you."_

Her heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name, shooting up from the sofa, her ears perked. Danny Fenton. When was the last time she heard about Danny Fenton, the last time she heard his voice?

Already, she could feel her heart travel a million miles a minute as she held on to her cell phone with both hands, her attention completely fixed on every word Mister Masters had to say about her former classmate. "H-how is Danny nowadays? Is he doing all right in Wisconsin?"

There was a slight pause on the other end, making Valerie wonder if things were just as bad as they were for Danny when he was coping with the loss of his family over in Amity Park. Her shoulders slumped. Danny was probably being bullied by all the kids at his new school and she couldn't do a single thing about it. She hated it. Hated the feeling of being useless; adverse. But Vlad seemed to ignore the slight hesitation to her question, laughing it off.

"_Oh, he's doing fine. But enough about Daniel. Before I forget, the reason I called was so that I could ask you something. A favor, if you might add."_

Valerie sat up and pressed the phone closer to her ear. "Uhm, sure, Mister Masters. What is it?"

"_Well, as you may know, I attend quite a lot of business trips in various parts of the world. Russia, Japan, even smaller countries such as Morraco or Guam." _He chuckled. _"You get the picture. The point is, because I'm on business, I rarely have time to spend with young Daniel, which bothers me so. Sure, he may not voice it himself, but I can tell spending hours in a foreign country by oneself could get rather boring."_

"O-kay," Valerie said slowly, processing what Vlad was getting at. "So, what does all of this have to do with me, Mister Masters?"

"_Right, right. Sorry. Anyway, as you might have guessed, I have sudden business to attend to in Jump City. Although, it really depends on the approval of your father, nevertheless … how would you like to come with me and Danny this Friday?"_

_

* * *

_**And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading and hopefully, I won't take forever to update like I did for this chapter. XP**

**Now, let's give it up for the reviewers. Let's give a big round of applause to:**

**TwiLyght Sans Sparkles, Umbra8191, Linzerj, dragondancer123, RenAGade, Shiva the Sarcastic, Demicat, Kyrs-Kat (for reviewing twice and reviewing for Chapter 4), Dalxein (for reviewing for Chapter 3 and writing a kickass fanfic that's right there on my favorites list), and EndGame666 (for reviewing for Chapter 2)**

**Thank you all. And thank you very much for the people who added "Sealed Fate" to their favorites and alerts. Let's give a big round of applause for:**

**allen niichan, , bobolink7, catphantom01, CyberPhantom, darkwolf1662, DaughterofDemeter123, Demicat, FeralChaos, foxglove66, HCVquizibo, mangahacker, OriginalElementa, Pichicha123, PsychoSophie, red21191, Ryu The Reaper, silver moonwings, utubeforway, Yoonel, bookwyrm31, DancesWithDeath, Dark Lord of Ori, Eidorian999, Evil Long Penname Having Individual Ending, I'm. . .An Innocent Bystander, Jombra, Kit Kage, mbshadow, Nailgun, Phantasmatis Rubramentum, puppykiller9, Rayven Nightshade, RhiannonGrey, Sable Katze, sagotomi, SkyeVerya, typhoonboom08, and WolfassassinKing**

**Jeez, there was a lot of ya. But I'm not complaining. ^^ Thank you all so much for your support and taking interest in my story. You guys are what keeps me updating. Hope you snag a ton of reviews for this chapter. But before I say my farewells, whoever can guess who the "pawns" Slade and Madame Rouge were talking about, feel free to write your guesses in your reviews. I'll give you a few hints:**

**1) There are a total of three, maybe four, villains. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm thinking there will be at least four. **

**2) All four villains are similar to the villains shown in Danny Phantom. **

**DFTBA, guys. Stay awesome and happy holidays. See y'all later!**

**- Uzumaki Nekkyo**


	7. Welcome to Stonewall

**Hey, everyone! Holy crap, sorry it's been forever. Dx I have a feeling this is going to be a regular thing. At first I hadn't updated in a while because I wasn't in the mood to write for this story. I had so many ideas jumbled in my head that I was more preoccupied with them rather than adding to "Sealed Fate". Then I got frustrated, so I just threw something together and updated. I'll keep that chapter around for probably three days, but after that, I'm deleting it. So whoever read the previous chapter I think I titled "Out of My Control", ignore it. It's no longer relevant to the story and will be deleted shortly. This chapter, however, is the new and improved chapter that **_**will be **_**relevant to the story. lol **

**So sit back, relax, and enjoy, fellow readers. And lemme give a big thanks to my beta-reader, dragondancer123! You rock! :)**

* * *

**~Chapter 6~**

"**Welcome to Stonewall"**

**(-)**

October 17, 1987; three days prior to the grand opening of the Stonewall Penitentiary, the Director of Security issued special keycards to every one of the guards dedicated to keeping criminals in. Never, under any circumstances, were they permitted to let them out. No matter what, guards were given strict orders to hold the penitentiary under lockdown, barricading both guards and criminals with no hope of escape. During lockdown, keycards were basically rendered useless.

After the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil, the Stonewall Penitentiary was filled to capacity. Because the Titans brought in so much 'business' for the guardsmen, Robin was thanked in person by the Director of Security, Alexander Keith, and granted access to his very own personal keycard. It truly was a great honor to be given something that held so much trust.

It didn't take very long to travel from the tower to Stonewall by jet – about a ten minute flight, seven minutes by T Ship. However, although Robin was granted permission to visit the penitentiary as much as he pleased _whenever_ he pleased, he still needed to be escorted to Stonewall and have a guard with him throughout his visit.

Robin preferred it this way anyway. Even though it didn't take the rest of the Titans very long to return to sleep after their battle against Dr. Light, the roar of the engines would've woken up at least one person, and Robin didn't want to take his chances as to who that someone would end up being. Neither of the Titans would believe him if he said he was just going out on patrol or cruising the night because he couldn't fall back asleep, not after the way he kept eyeing the penitentiary just a few hours ago.

"_It is him, isn't it?"_

Robin shut his eyes, feeling the warmth of Starfire's fingertips brushing against the top of his shoulders, the apprehension in her emerald-green eyes sending shockwaves of guilt coursing through his body. If she knew what he was doing – if she knew where he was heading right now….

The jet commenced its landing. Robin quietly thanked the pilot as the cockpit swooshed open, allowing him to leave the jet. A guardsman propped up some stairs to assist Robin down. He thanked him kindly and promptly made his way towards the gate.

Two guardsmen stood their ground in front of the gate – one with a handheld device strapped to his belt, both with rifles. The two guardsmen saluted the Boy Wonder before standing back at attention.

"State your name and business," one of the guardsmen ordered while the other pulled out his handheld device – a fancy, hi-tech metal detector – before approaching the Boy Wonder.

Robin nodded, unhooking his utility belt and handing it to the guardsman with the device. He raised his arms at shoulders-length and spread his legs two steps apart while the guardsman scanned him for any harmful weapons or triggers not hidden in his belt.

"Robin, leader of the Teen Titans. Business stands at a simple background check."

The detector bleeped approvingly. The two guardsmen nodded.

"As you were," one of them spoke while the guardsman lacking the detector escorted Robin towards the gate. Using the keypad near the entrance, he punched in a quick code after pulling out his card to be scanned. Like the device, the keypad chirruped approvingly. The metal doors swooshed open, allowing Robin to enter.

The two guardsmen saluted him before the doors began to close.

"State your name and business," another guardsman spoke, standing at attention in front of another gate only next to a computer desk.

"Robin, leader of the Teen Titans; background check."

"Keycard number."

"Holder number one-eight-one-five-two-nine-one-four."

The guardsman held out his hand, not a word spoken. Robin nodded and removed his keycard around his neck, handing it to the guardsman. He took the keycard and typed in the code. Robin stood waiting.

The guardsman glanced up at the Boy Wonder and nodded his approval, handing the card back. Robin grabbed it and placed it back around his neck.

_Hmm, strange. It feels, almost heavier._

"Alright, before we get started, in the chance of a prison break, we are not authorized to help you escape during lockdown. We will try our damnedest to lead you to a safe place located at the end of the penitentiary while our other soldiers lead the escapees back to their prison cells. Should you make it to the safe place, you are to stay _in_ it until we have concluded all lockdown closing procedures. Do you abide by these rules and regulations as written by the Director of Security?"

"Yes, sir." Robin nodded.

The guardsman scoffed, entering a code in the keypad near the entrance way. The keypad chirped approvingly as the doors began to open. Robin was awarded with a salute before being allowed to enter.

"Your funeral, kid. Welcome to Stonewall."

Robin ignored the guardsman's words and entered through the metal doorway. A series of bright lights flashed to life, all illuminating the hallway one at a time in a sequence of spotlights.

The guardsman snorted rudely behind the Boy Wonder as the metal doors shut behind them loudly. "Don't see the whole point of these background checks, son. I know the boss gave you special permission to drop by as often as you please, but you've got some nerve swinging on by trying to imitate what us professionals do every hour on the hour."

"A lackadaisical attitude prevents me from pointing out the obvious. I'm not here to argue, Sir, I'm just here to make sure these criminals stay where they belong, confined. I'm sure you know as well as I do that a lot of your prisoners here are master escape artists."

The guardsman sneered before jabbing a finger hard against the R insignia coated on the Boy Wonder's chest. "That's Lieutenant Bridge to you, son," he growled. "Now I didn't spend more than half of your existence getting my ass handed to me in the academy to get to where I'm at right now – taking orders from a snot-nosed little shit like you. Leader of the Teen Titans? Tch. Now you may control what goes on out in the city with your little freaky-ass friends and their freaky-ass powers, but in Stonewall, we're breaking city barriers, kid. You're in _my_ house, now. Do I make myself clear?"

Robin calmly bushed the guardsman's meaty finger away, his face as placid as possible. "Sir, yes, sir."

"Good boy," Bridge sneered. "Now march."

(-)

Usually tech operators didn't get to witness much action, at least that's what Field Trainee, Jason Montgomery, was told. Because Stonewall is one of the high-end security facilities in the state, nothing ever got in or out without a keycard or password inscription knowledge. So naturally, watching Sergeant Bridge chew out the leader of the infamous Teen Titans was like watching a prison riot unfold.

"Shit. I'd hate to be that kid right now. Bridge'll knock your teeth out just from looking at him wrong. Poor bastard." Jason grinned.

Corporal Zach Barnes glanced at the screen with disinterest, leaning back in his chair and sipping his mug of coffee. Jason peeked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Barnes. You gotta admit this is the most interesting thing we've seen all night."

Corporal Barnes tuned out Jason's words and kept his focus on the control panel before him, glancing at a couple of monitoring screens and switching a few camera angles. "Montgomery, I know this isn't the most exciting assignment in the world, but you're a trainee and as I recall, Field Trainees are supposed to sit back, shut up, and do what the Field Training _Officer_ tells them to—"

"—_Time out."_

Frozen. Corporal Barnes' lips solidified in a temporary fixture from being interrupted, mid-speak – a look as if he were preparing to kiss someone – whereas Jason sat still, a bored, apathetic look in his tired, half-lidded eyes.

The temperature seemed to decrease. Not drastically, but enough for one to feel a cold shiver run against their spine. If both weren't temporarily frozen in time at the moment, Jason or Corporal Barnes probably would've noticed the sudden drop in temperature. However, none would've been able to figure out the source. Clockwork made sure of that.

After waiting a few seconds, the Master of Time emerged tangible, his eyes scanning a room full of screens and monitors displaying the outskirts of both inside and outside the penitentiary. The control room, he presumed, floating towards a small patch of monitors, all frozen at a complete standstill, just like the two humans before him. One monitor in particular, caught the time ghost's eye. He reached for the intercom located in his ear and spoke, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"I'm in," he spoke.

"_Excellent. Do you see your target?"_

"I still don't see the point of this, Slade. The only one who will be able to see me is the boy. It's his word against advanced technology. Do you really think the guards are going to believe him when he claims he saw a ghost roaming around the penitentiary when in fact, there will be nothing to validate his word on camera?"

"_Most likely not, Clockwork, but that's not the point. I've schemed against the Boy Wonder long enough to understand what catches his interests. Seeing is believing in his eyes, no matter what anyone else tells him. Trust me, I know. Commence the operation. Slade, out."_

Clockwork growled in frustration and stared back at the monitor screen displaying the Boy Wonder and the guardsman escorting him. He narrowed his eyes at the keycard wrapped around Robin's neck and sighed. In a blink of an eye, he returned to his intangible form and fazed through the ground, leaving the control room frozen in time.

(-)

"Have you guys run any simulations during the past couple of hours?" Robin asked, looking over pod keeping hold of one of the Titans' strongest criminals, Madame Rouge. He narrowed his eyes at her frozen body, remembering how easily she could fool someone with her ability to shape shift as well as using her elastic body as a very powerful weapon.

"It's protocol we run our simulations at least three times out of the day. As to when we run them is classified information, bird boy," Sergeant Bridge snapped, following closely behind Robin as he checked every pod containing all the villains associated in the takedown of the Brotherhood of Evil.

Robin ignored the overly used insult and continued walking down the hallway, taking time to inspect each pod holding a different frozen villain. He stopped at Gizmo before he asked another question. "The lights – the ones that are always gyrating to let the JCPD know that things are under control here at Stonewall – during simulations, are they set at a standstill for some reason?"

Sergeant Bridge growled in frustration, tearing his eyes away from the pod next to the one Robin was inspecting. "What's with the third degree, kid? And didn't I tell you all that stuff is classified? You gotta at least be a Field Trainee to know how our simulations work."

Robin narrowed his eyes impatiently. "Look, I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job. I'm just here to inspect and make sure everything is—"

He stopped, his gaze focused over Sergeant Bridge's shoulder. He could've sworn he heard something. Like a whisper echoing throughout the hallway.

That's when he saw it. A pale figure at the very end of the hallway. It was small, draped in a lavender cloak carrying a silver scepter that gleamed in the brightly-lit corridor. The figure gazed at Robin with an unusual, flashing red eye and grinned. Before his eyes, he disappeared around the corner, beckoning him to follow.

And he did.

Ignoring any orders he was expecting Sergeant Bridge to yell at him for fleeing away from a guardsman, Robin ran down the hallway, the echo of his steel-toed boots clanging against the floor booming throughout the entire room. He turned the corner, coming at a crossroads. He scanned all four paths, searching for the figure in the lavender cloak and the red eye. Had he imagined the whole thing? No one got in or out of Stonewall without any type of password or keycard or even running into one of the guards.

Robin searched frantically, his eyes scanning back and forth. A sudden chill grazed his spine, but he tried to ignore it, looking left to right, back and forth.

There he was, only this time the figure looked taller, frailer than the smaller, younger-looking figure he saw before. It didn't matter. There was an intruder in the vicinity. Or worse, one of the criminals had in fact managed to escape. But who? Mumbo? Mother Mae Eye? Control Freak?

The room seemed to get a little chillier the faster he moved. Understandable, seeing as every villain he passed was frozen solid. However, Robin didn't remember the vicinity being this cold.

He shrugged it off, turning another corner and catching glimpse of the cloaked figure. He was getting closer. All he had to do was pick up speed and ignore the sharp pain in his lungs that were begging him to slow down and rest. No, not now, not when he was so close….

The figure stopped in his tracks, turning to face the Boy Wonder who was mere feet away from catching him. He raised his scepter, pointing it towards Robin and spoke one word that seemed to ring clamorously throughout the entire vicinity.

"_Rewind."_

A blast of light exploded from the cloaked figures scepter, stopping Robin in his tracks. He raised his arm to shield his eyes from the luminescent glow as he felt two strong invisible hands grip him from behind. The Boy Wonder had no time to react. It was like a force much similar to the dark energy Raven possessed when she tried entrapping a criminal so he wouldn't escape, pulling at his body, dragging him backwards to where he started. It all happened so fast, too fast for his eyes and brain to process.

Suddenly, Robin was facing Sergeant Bridge once again, glancing over his shoulder at the spot where he first noticed the cloaked figure beckoning him to follow.

_What in the…?_

Sergeant Bridge seemed to notice this time where Robin was looking and glanced over his shoulder, only to find nothing. "What the hell are you staring at, boy?"

Robin looked up at Sergeant Bridge, almost taken aback before glancing back over his shoulder. "You—you didn't see it?"

"See what?" Sergeant Bridge asked, sounding more and more annoyed with each question Robin asked.

It felt like Robin had no time to answer. He walked past Sergeant Bridge, his eyes focused on the corner where he first saw the cloaked figure. Nothing. No one was there. But there had to be. He saw it.

"Kid, are you alright?" Sergeant Bridge asked, noticing Robin's unusual behavior. Once again, he was ignored and Robin dashed down the corridor. "Hey! Kid, you can't leave my sight, remember? Kid!"

How could he not have seen him? Matter of fact, how could Sergeant Bridge not have followed after him when he ran off? A guard had to be with him at all times, those were the rules. Why didn't Sergeant Bridge follow after him the first time Robin ran off? It didn't make any sense.

The sound of clanging rang familiarly through Robin's eardrums as he turned the corner, running into the same crossroads he faced not too long ago. He searched his surroundings, trying to see if the cloaked figure was anywhere within sight. Sergeant Bridge finally caught up to the Boy Wonder, his face showing nothing but anger.

"I think you've overstayed your welcome, kid. Your ass is outta—hey!"

Familiar. Everything looked familiar. Not because he'd inspected every pod in Stonewall before, but because he took this same exact path not too long ago. Déjà vu. It all felt like dream, a memory replaying itself with the absence of one – the cloaked figure with the glowing scepter.

Robin stopped, reaching the corridor he last remembered before the blinding light. He stood at the hallway, breathless, scanning his surroundings only to find nothing. He knew he was here. This is where he last saw him.

Suddenly, Robin felt another familiar sensation. The hands. He immediately turned around, pulling out one of his birdarangs in a line of defense. Bad move.

Sergeant Bridge took a step back and raised his weapon, a hi-tech plasma gun. Robin's eyes widened at the whirling sound coming from the gun and slowly lowered his birdarang, an apologetic look on his face. "Please, let me explain."

(-)

A monitor showing Robin and Sergeant Bridge from earlier played in the control room, showing the Boy Wonder glancing over Sergeant Bridge's shoulder before taking off. Each monitor showed different angles of the event unfolding, however, whatever Robin seemed to be chasing after didn't show up on the screen.

Jason glanced over at the distraught Boy Wonder and then back at the monitor. Corporal Barnes paused at the event in which Robin pulled out his birdarang in front of Sergeant Bridge and faced away from the control panel, looking rather pissed off at the Boy Wonder. "Nothing. Our cameras show nothing about a cloaked figure with a glowing red eye wielding a scepter."

Robin growled in frustration. "Look, I know it sounds hard to believe, but I saw _something_. Please, at least do a simulation lockdown, just to make sure there isn't anything roaming around the—"

"—Enough!" Sergeant Bridge barked, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "The Stonewall Penitentiary is run by some of the top elite forces handpicked by the Director of Security himself. Now we let you come by and do your little amateur inspections, but we know how to run this place and keep these criminals under permanent imprisonment."

Jason looked back at the monitors and then up at Sergeant Bridge, his voice quivering slightly with apprehension. "Sergeant Bridge, maybe the kid's got a point. Would it hurt to at least send a guard or two down there to make sure we didn't miss—"

"—I don't remember giving you permission to speak, Trainee." Sergeant Bridge glared.

"Apologies, Sergeant, but—"

"—Corporal Barnes, I advise you to enforce better discipline to your trainee otherwise he's going to find himself talking back to the wrong people and wind up getting his ass demoted,"—he glanced over at Zach, his crossed behind his back to show better authority posture—"I'm sure you're aware of how close you are to getting promoted to Detective. A trainee getting demoted will not look good at all on your transcript. So I advise you hold him on a leash and teach him how to keep his mouth shut in the presence of a Sergeant."

"Sir, yes, sir." Corporal Barnes saluted before nudging Jason hard in the ribs. Jason winced, but kept his mouth shut.

Sergeant Bridge smirked and glanced back down at Robin. "Now I suggest you march your sorry little ass back to your little tower and leave this stuff to the professionals. Otherwise, I'll have the Director of Security on the line and have him yank that special little keycard from your hands so fast it'll make your head spin."

Robin opened his mouth to protest but immediately shut it. He glanced back at the monitors and then back up at Sergeant Bridge. He knew what he saw, but what else could he do? There was no evidence, no other witnesses. All he had was his word. And frankly, that wasn't enough.

"A jet should be waiting to taking you back to the Tower. Corporal Barnes will show you the way out." Sergeant Bridge nudged Corporal Barnes, grinning as Robin followed him toward the door. "Good night, and have a nice day."

(-)

_I know what I saw…._ Robin trailed off, watching the sun peak just over the tip of the mountains. The pilot had just pulled up to the T Tower, opening the cockpit and allowing Robin to leave. As the jet raced back towards the penitentiary, a sudden gust of warm wind captured the Boy Wonder's cape, making it dance in the glow of the rising sun.

Warmth. It was an unusual feeling during this time of day, especially when the T Tower was located in the middle of the ocean, which seemed to draw in fog and mist that brought a chill to anyone who walked outside. But despite the warm air, Robin still felt the icy chill of cold hands wrapping around his body, dragging him backwards into a pit of darkness.

What was that? Who had he seen running through the halls through the penitentiary? That pale, cloaked figure with a gleaming red eye carrying a silver scepter? Surely that was the first time Robin had come face-to-face with a villain sporting those types of features. Going down the list of all the criminals involved in the battle against the Brotherhood of Evil, Robin never recalled ever facing a villain that matched the description. Neither have any of his teammates, from what he can remember.

_Rewind. _He remembered that one word muttered by the cloak figure before the blast of light had blinded him and the cold hands had dragged him into a sea of darkness only to place him back in front of Sergeant Bridge. A do-over. Like he was being yanked back in time.

The sound of mechanical doors opening nearly startled the Boy Wonder as he turned around to see who had come outside so early in the morning. Cyborg, with a rather clamorous yawn and good stretch, stepped outside the rocky terrain. Their eyes met, leaving Cyborg a little confused.

"Good morning," said Robin, sounding as guiltless as possible.

"Morning," Cyborg responded slowly. "It's like five o'clock in the morning. What're you doing out here?"

"Jogging. I woke up a little late. Usually I'm in the shower before the sun fully rises."

Cyborg rose a quizzically eyebrow but dismissed it, ruffling the Boy Wonder's spiky hair. "There's an 'early bird catches the worm' pun in here somewhere, but it's way too damn early."

Robin chuckled and brushed the mechanical teen's hand away. "So, why are you out here so early? Weren't you just complaining how Doctor Light was interrupting your beauty sleep a couple of hours ago?"

Cyborg rolled his eye and grinned. "Please. Does this look like a face that needs any beauty sleep? Now Beast Boy on the other hand, there's no hope for that little green mess." He laughed. "I'm just checking up on the surveillance cameras. Might as well start now so I don't have to worry about it—"

"—It's my day to check them."

"—later…. Oh, it is?"

Robin nodded his head.

Cyborg's good eye widened before he threw his hands up dramatically. "Ah, man! You mean I woke up at the ass crack of dawn just to have you tell me it's not my day to check the damn cameras?"

Robin shrugged, giving his friend a sympathetic smile.

"Ugggh! I'm going back to sleep."

The sound of the mechanical doors swooshed open before closing back up as Robin stood making sure the coast was clear. He looked up at a small, blinking red light just above the entrance. In total, there were ten surveillance cameras placed all around the tower. High, some low, even in unnecessary places. But you could never be too careful.

Truth be told, Robin was thankful Doctor Light had chosen earlier this morning to rob the bank as well as catching the odd discontinuation of the gyrating lights at the penitentiary. It all just so happened to fall under the day he was supposed to check the surveillance cameras.

Coincidence? Or just plain luck? Either way, he wasn't complaining.

He looked up at the blinking red light just above the entrance to the Tower. His nightly visit to the Stonewall, the jet coming to pick him up and drop him; it was all captured on film. Had it been Cyborg's turn to check the cameras, Robin would've been screwed. Thankfully, it was his day. Another coincidence, or did Lady Luck have her eye on him all of a sudden?

Again, he wasn't complaining.

* * *

**That's a wrap! Keep a look out for the next chapter, where Danny finally finds himself in Jump City! Remember, review, review, review!**

**DFTBA,**

**Uzumaki Nekkyo**


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